Environment and Conservation
Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs
November 9, 2009Communities
Surrounding St. Peter�s Bay
Sign Coastal Stewardship Agreements
The towns of St Lewis, Mary�s Harbour and Red Bay
pledged their commitment today to protecting common
eider duck habitat in St. Peter�s Bay by officially
signing coastal stewardship agreements with the
Provincial Government. The Honourable John Hickey,
Minister of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs, on behalf
of the Honourable Charlene Johnson, Minister of
Environment and Conservation, was on hand for the
signing in Mary�s Harbour.
"The signing of coastal stewardship agreements by
these towns further demonstrates their commitment to
conserving a resource that has become a source of pride
for residents of communities surrounding seaduck
habitat," said Minister Johnson. "This program will help
ensure, through cooperation between the towns, local
people, interest groups, and the partners of the Eastern
Habitat Joint Venture, that the sustainability of eider
duck populations and their habitat is maintained for
future generations."
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.
"The Coastal Stewardship Program will serve to raise
awareness about the importance of conserving coastal
waterfowl which have special significance to the
residents of these areas," said Minister Hickey. "It is
communities like these who strive to find balance
between the environment, economic growth, community
development and resource sustainability, and seek out
innovative conservation programs like the Coastal
Stewardship Program, which will be looked upon as role
models for other communities."
The Coastal Stewardship Program was developed by EHJV
to encourage communities that have a historic
relationship with coastal areas frequented by eider
ducks to recognize the value of this resource and to
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 and along nearby
coastlines. Significant concentrations of overwintering
eiders can be found in these areas.
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