2 MARINE BIRD IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS NEAR THE STRAIT OF BELLE ISLE AND NORTHERN PENINSULA Conservation Concerns and Potential Strategies 2001 Prepared for the Canadian Nature Federation and the Natural History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador 2 Acknowledgements: The Important Bird Areas Program is part of the Natural Legacy 2000 program, a nation-wide initiative to conserve wildlife and habitats on private and public lands. We gratefully acknowledge the financial sup- port of the Government of Canada’s Millennium Partnership Program and Ducks Unlimited Canada. This report could not have been produced without the assistance of Laura Dominguez, Joanne Fifield, Dan Best Rachel Bryant and The Alder Institute. We’d also like to thank Joel Heath and Mark Hipfner for their con- tributions to the species accounts. We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Advisory Committee: Rita Anderson, Natural History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador David Fifield, Natural History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador Leah de Forest, Species at Risk Program Manager, Parks Canada Marc Johnson, Canadian Nature Federation Bill Montevecchi, Memorial University of Newfoundland Greg Robertson, Canadian Wildlife Service Douglas Ballam, Parks and Natural Areas Division, Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, Prov- ince of Newfoundland and Labrador Brian McLaren, Wildlife Division, Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation Mark Gloutney, Manager, Conservation Programs, Ducks Unlimited Gerry Yetman, Eastern Habitat Joint Venture Stewardship Program, Wildlife Division, Province of New- foundland and Labrador Suggested citation: Russell J. and D. Fifield 2001. Marine Bird Important Bird Areas near the Strait of Belle Isle and North- ern Peninsula: Conservation Concerns and Potential Strategies. Can. Nature Fed., Bird Studies Can., Natu- ral History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, 140pp. Table of Contents Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................3 1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................1 1.1. The Formal Political Context in Newfoundland and Labrador ..........................................2 1.2. The Informal Political Context in Newfoundland and Labrador........................................6 2. The IBA Program.........................................................................................................................9 3. IBA Site Information .................................................................................................................11 St. Peter Bay ............................................................................................................................16 Point Amour.............................................................................................................................19 Fischot Island...........................................................................................................................22 Northern Groais Islands ...........................................................................................................25 Bell Island South Coast............................................................................................................28 4. IBA Species Information ...........................................................................................................31 4.1. Excerpts from the 2001 CWS Report entitled Population status of Migratory Game Birds in Canada ...........................................................................................................................32 4.2. Harlequin Duck Satellite Tracking Project.......................................................................33 4.3. Voisey’s Bay.....................................................................................................................34 4.4. Atlantic Puffin...................................................................................................................41 4.5. Black Guillemot................................................................................................................44 4.6. Black-legged Kittiwake ....................................................................................................47 4.7. Common Eider..................................................................................................................50 4.8. Common Murre.................................................................................................................52 4.9. Harlequin Duck.................................................................................................................56 4.10. Razorbill..........................................................................................................................58 5. Other Elements of Interest .........................................................................................................61 5.1. Other Birds........................................................................................................................61 St. Peter Bay ......................................................................................................................61 Point Amour.......................................................................................................................61 Northern Groais Island.......................................................................................................61 Bell Island (Grey Islands): Shepherd Island ......................................................................61 Bell Island (Grey Islands): Isle aux Canes.........................................................................62 5.2. Terrestrial Plants ...............................................................................................................63 5.3. Bird Aggregations and Local Nutrient Cycles..................................................................63 5.4. Geology.............................................................................................................................63 6. Land Ownership and Use...........................................................................................................65 7. Conservation Concerns ..............................................................................................................67 7.1. Vulnerability of Moulting Seaducks.................................................................................67 7.2. Vulnerability of Breeding Birds .......................................................................................68 Seaducks ............................................................................................................................68 Cliff Nesting Seabirds........................................................................................................68 7.3. Harvesting.........................................................................................................................68 Management Regime .........................................................................................................68 The Turr Hunt ....................................................................................................................70 Hunting Behavior...............................................................................................................71 7.4. Fishery Interactions...........................................................................................................71 1 Incidental Catch of Seabirds by Fisheries..........................................................................71 Perception of Top Predators as Our Competitors for Prey Species...................................72 Indirect Effects of Fishing Through Habitat Destruction ..................................................72 Aquaculture........................................................................................................................74 7.5. Disturbance .......................................................................................................................75 Marine Vessel Traffic ........................................................................................................75 Tourism..............................................................................................................................75 The IBA Program...............................................................................................................75 7.6. Marine Oil Pollution .........................................................................................................76 Seabirds and Oil.................................................................................................................76 Ship-source Oil Pollution...................................................................................................76 Offshore Oil & Gas............................................................................................................76 Onshore Oil & Gas ............................................................................................................78 7.7. Hydro-electric Development in Harlequin Duck Breeding Territory...............................78 7.8. NATO Low Level Flight Training....................................................................................80 Environmental