Climate Change and Renewable Resources in Labrador: Looking toward 2050 Workshop Report Hosted by Labrador Highlands Research Group and Labrador Institute of Memorial University North West River, Labrador, March 11–13, 2008 © 2008, Labrador Highlands Research Group Recommended citation: Bell, T., Jacobs, J.D., Munier, A., Leblanc, P., and Trant, A. 2008. Climate Change and Renewable Resources in Labrador: Looking toward 2050. Proceedings and Report of a Conference held in North West River, Labrador, 11–13 March. St. John’s: Labrador Highlands Research Group, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 95 p and CD‐Rom. 2 Climate Change and Renewable Resources in Labrador: Looking toward 2050 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................................................5 Acknowledgements and Sponsors ..............................................................................................................................8 Conference Rationale and Overview..........................................................................................................................9 Conference Structure ................................................................................................................................................10 Conference Hosts .......................................................................................................................................................11 Labrador Highlands Research Group.....................................................................................................................11 Labrador Institute ...................................................................................................................................................11 Day 1: Setting the Stage ............................................................................................................................................12 Introduction to the Conference................................................................................................................................12 Labrador’s Changing Climate ................................................................................................................................13 Labrador’s renewable resources: past and present ................................................................................................17 Open dialogue- Observations of changes to Labrador’s wildlife and resources ..................................................22 Day 2: Looking to the Future ...................................................................................................................................24 Climate Change Projections for Newfoundland and Labrador- A Closer Look .....................................................24 Climate Change and Forests in Labrador...............................................................................................................30 Can Trees Climb Mountains? From Tundra to Trees – a Tale of Changing Treeline in the Highlands of Labrador .................................................................................................................................................................................31 Sustaining Nitassinan: Facing Climate Change – An Innu Perspective .................................................................37 Status of Caribou Herds in Labrador and Potential Effects of Climate Change ....................................................39 Climate Change and Seals: A Labrador Perspective with a Focus on the Importance of Sea Ice..........................45 Planet Ocean - Using Seabirds to Assay Climate Change – Implications for Labrador ........................................56 Ecology and Population Dynamics of North Labrador Arctic Charr: A Model Species for Evaluating Impacts of Exploitation and Climate Influences on Population Characteristics ......................................................................62 Historical Significance and Future Availability of Atlantic Salmon in Labrador...................................................68 Public Session: Climate and Environmental Change in the Labrador Highlands...............................................76 Day 3: Making our Knowledge Relevant.................................................................................................................77 Challenges: .............................................................................................................................................................77 Priority Actions:......................................................................................................................................................79 3 Climate Change and Renewable Resources in Labrador: Looking toward 2050 Closing Remarks........................................................................................................................................................82 Appendix 1: Conference Agenda..............................................................................................................................83 Appendix II: Conference Participants.....................................................................................................................84 Appendix III: More detailed participant responses on Day 3................................................................................86 Appendix IV: Conference Media Exposure ............................................................................................................95 4 Climate Change and Renewable Resources in Labrador: Looking toward 2050 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Labrador Climate Change Conference was held in North West River from March 11 to 13, 2008. The theme of the conference was reflected in its title: Climate Change and Renewable Resources in Labrador: Looking toward 2050. The conference aimed to examine the relationship of past, present and future climate and climate change to the terrestrial and marine ecosystems of Labrador. These ecosystems support the renewable resource‐based economies and way of life of Labrador communities. The conference was hosted by the Labrador Highlands Research Group and the Labrador Institute, both of Memorial University. The conference was intended to be both an exchange of information and ideas among scientists and resource managers and a dialogue between scientists, policy makers, local experts and representatives of the communities that are being affected by the changing climate. Our commitment to information sharing and dialogue shaped the structure of the conference. There were three main sessions: (i) an open dialogue on personal and traditional perspectives of resources and environmental change in Labrador; (ii) scientific presentations on past, present, and potential future interactions of climate and renewable resources in Labrador; and (iii) a facilitated public workshop in which conference participants and members of the public were challenged to set priorities for the development of adaptive strategies for climate change impacts. A special session on climate change in Labrador was delivered to Environmental Technology and Adult Education students from Sheshatshiu, North West River and Natuashish. The response of the Labrador community to the conference far exceeded our expectations. All of the sessions were overflowing and a rich dialogue of traditional, local and scientific perspectives occurred in response to expert presentations, local observations, and future scenarios. Over 30 agencies were represented at the conference. Sessions involved up to 135 participants including members of the local public (25%) and Aboriginal governments (17%), and representatives from 10 communities across Labrador. The conference report summarizes these discussions while digital MP3 recordings and PowerPoint presentations provide audio and visual documentation, respectively. These resources will soon be available on the conference web site (http://www.mun.ca/geog/lhrg/) and publicized to conference registrants. 5 Climate Change and Renewable Resources in Labrador: Looking toward 2050 The conference report summarizes these discussions while digital MP3 recordings and PowerPoint presentations provide audio and visual documentation, respectively. These resources will soon be available on the conference web site (http://www.mun.ca/geog/lhrg/) and publicized to conference registrants. ‐ Timing and extent of traditional animal migrations (e.g., caribou, polar bears, seal, fish) ‐ New range extensions of southern species (e.g., insects, terrestrial and marine mammals, tree and plant species) ‐ Increased variability in snowfall, snowmelt, sea‐ice formation, extent and thickness, storminess, wind strength and direction ‐ Country food availability (e.g. berries) There was broad agreement that a wealth of knowledge about the environment exists in Labrador communities, and that a coordinated effort is needed to collect, assess, and disseminate this information. If a network were established it would give everyone access to a broader perspective on the changes that are occurring throughout Labrador, and protocols could be established to standardize the way that observations are collected so that they can be more effectively compared across the region. It was noted that such monitoring must be community based and allow for focused observation on aspects of the environment