September 23, 2002 Threats to Canada’s National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries Logging and Cranberry Production in Atlantic Canada’s Largest Wetland Large-scale commercial cranberry facilities are sprouting up on private lands adjacent to Portobello Creek NWA on New Brunswick’s lower Saint John River, clearing forests, changing seasonal flooding and hydrology patterns, and silting the adjacent Portobello River. When 72,000 acres of privately-owned wetlands recently came up for sale, the federal government lacked the resources for this important acquisition. Instead, the land has been purchased for logging by private interests, further compromising the overall ecological integrity of the wetland. Exotic Species in Canada’s Most Threatened Landscapes Exotic species are having a profound impact on the ecology of Canada’s natural areas, especially freshwater ecosystems. 160 invasive plant and animal species have been identified in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Basin alone. In Lake St Clair National Wildlife Area, nine invasive plant species are forming dense stands that choke out native wetland species important to fish and wildlife. Large populations of carp have destroyed beds of native vegetation. Their spawning activities are destroying the nests and eggs of marsh-nesting terns. Overgrazing by mute swans is causing a functional reduction in aquatic habitat. Zebra mussels are having dramatic impacts on lake composition and concentrating PCBs in the fatty tissues of the waterfowl that feed on them. Atlantic Canada’s Cultural and Ecological Heritage at Risk Lighthouses that have adorned Atlantic Canada’s coastal islands, bays and peninsulas for 300 years are being decommissioned as new navigational technologies render them obsolete. While many of these sites serve as important habitat for a variety of nesting and staging birds, the federal government is pondering the sale of these ecologically and culturally important lands for private development. The government’s own land management and transfer guidelines are proving to be the biggest barrier to the preservation of this important heritage. Disturbance of Nesting Colonies in Canada’s Great Lakes Public disturbance of nesting waterbird colonies is one of the most serious threats at Southwestern Ontario’s NWAs and MBSs. Motorboats, jet skis, adventure tourism, and a variety of other water-based recreational activities are all having devastating effects on egrets, herons, and terns that nest in colonies on small island NWAs and MBSs, such as Chantry Island MBS, Eleanor Island NWA, and Mohawk Island NWA. The number of fledglings raised in bird colonies is significantly lower with frequent disturbance. Disturbance of adult birds causes them to leave their eggs or fledglings unattended and vulnerable to a variety of predators. Young birds require almost continuous feeding and may become weakened and die if the adults are otherwise occupied. back to media release