The Honourable Charlene Johnson, Minister of
Environment and Conservation, today announced the creation of Lawn
Islands Archipelago Provisional Ecological Reserve under the
Wilderness and Ecological Reserves Act and Seabird Ecological
Reserve Regulations.
"It gives me great pleasure to announce the
establishment of a provisional ecological reserve at Lawn Islands," said
Minister Johnson. "This move will protect significant seabird colonies
while at the same time strengthen Newfoundland and Labrador�s
eco-tourism potential."
The Lawn Islands Archipelago is located off the
community of Lawn on the Burin Peninsula, and consists of Middle Island,
Offer Island and Columbier Islands. The small islands are home to
thousands of nesting seabirds. Of particular significance is the colony
of Manx shearwater, a nocturnal seabird that nests in burrows up to four
feet deep and has been recorded with a lifespan of over 50 years. Middle
Island supports the only known colony of Manx shearwater in North
America.
The archipelago supports eight breeding seabird
species. Large colonies of Leach�s storm-petrels rest on the islands
along with herring gulls, great black-backed gulls, black
guillemots, black-legged kittiwakes, common murres and a small colony of
arctic terns. If established as a permanent ecological reserve, Lawn
Islands will join Cape St. Mary�s, Witless Bay, Gannet Islands, Hare Bay
Islands, Baccalieu Island and Funk Island Seabird Ecological Reserves.
Provisional status will grant the area interim
protection under the Wilderness and Ecological Reserves Act until
the Provincial Government completes a full site assessment and input is
sought from interested groups through public consultations by the
Wilderness and Ecological Reserves Advisory Council (WERAC).
Consultations will ensure all public and private interests are fairly
heard and considered when determining the area�s suitability for
permanent reserve establishment. WERAC advises the Provincial
Government, through the Minister of Environment and Conservation, on the
establishment and management of wilderness and ecological reserves.
"This is an important step in protecting the Lawn
Islands Archipelago as a Provincial Ecological Reserve," said John
McCarthy, Co-Chairperson, WERAC. "WERAC sees this site as an important
seabird area. We are fully supportive of this initiative."
For more information on Lawn Islands Archipelago
Provisional Ecological Reserve, call 709-635-4520 or e-mail
parksinfo@gov.nl.ca.
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