Environment and Conservation
June 26, 2008

St. Anthony Signs First Coastal Stewardship Agreement in Province

The Town of St. Anthony pledged its commitment to protecting common eider duck habitat today by officially signing a Coastal Stewardship Agreement with the Department of Environment and Conservation. This agreement is the first of its kind to be signed in the province.

"Through the signing of this agreement, the Town of St. Anthony has made a commitment to protect its valuable eider duck resource through the Coastal Stewardship Program," said the Honourable Charlene Johnson, Minister of Environment and Conservation. "This program will help ensure, through co-operation between local people, interest groups, and the partners of the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture (EHJV), that the sustainability of eider duck populations and their habitat is maintained for generations to come."

Minister Johnson was joined by St. Anthony Mayor Boyd Noel for the signing ceremony.

"With ever increasing pressures being placed on environment and nature, each of us must do our part to protect our valuable natural resources for our youth," said Mayor Noel. "This signing is one step the Town of St. Anthony is very pleased to be a part of."

The Coastal Stewardship Program was developed to encourage communities that have coastal areas frequented by eider ducks to recognize the value of this resource and accept a stewardship role in maintaining their integrity. Common eiders nest on coastal islands and rear their young on the shoals that are usually associated with these islands, as well as along nearby coastlines.

The Town of St. Anthony already serves as an example to other coastal communities through its involvement in eider duck enhancement and conservation work in the Hare Bay area. One of the activities to ensure sustainability of eider populations has been the installation of nesting structures to protect eider nests from predators. The Coastal Stewardship Program will serve to complement activities like this one, and help raise awareness about the importance of caring for this resource.

"It is communities like St. Anthony who work hard to find a balance between the natural environment, economic growth, development and sustainability that serve as role models for other communities," said the Honourable Trevor Taylor, MHA for the Straits and White Bay North. "I commend the residents of St. Anthony on their dedication to being stewards of our coastal areas."

In 1986, in light of a drastic decline in North American waterfowl populations and in an effort to effectively reverse the trend, the Governments of Canada and the United States signed the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) with a goal to return waterfowl populations to 1970s levels by actively conserving wetland and upland habitat. In 1994, Mexico signed on to that agreement making it a truly continental initiative.

To implement NAWMP, joint ventures were established throughout North America. The Eastern Habitat Joint Venture (EHJV) was established in 1989. Partners include the six eastern provinces, Environment Canada�s Canadian Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Wildlife Habitat Canada, and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. The Newfoundland and Labrador division of the EHJV is administered through the Wildlife Division of the Department of Environment and Conservation.

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Media contact:
Melony O�Neill
Director of Communications
Department of Environment and Conservation
709-729-2575, 689-0928
moneill@gov.nl.ca

2008 06 26                                                  10:40 a.m.


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