No new permits in Witless Bay Reserve this season

Tourism, Culture and Recreation Minister Sandra Kelly, announced today that official permits for tour boat operators in the Witless Bay reserve for this season have now been issued, and have been limited to last year's qualified operators.

"No new permits have been issued due to an ongoing review of study results which assessed the impact of tour boats on birds within the reserve boundaries," Kelly said. "The study indicated that the present level of activity, including the number of boats and the number of daily trips around the islands, is acceptable, but we are concerned about any increase in stress on the breeding birds."

The department's recent policy statement regarding the number of available permits had originally identified a maximum of 12 permits for the Witless Bay area; a total of seven for Gull and Green Islands, and five for Great Island. However, since then, officials have received reports of disturbance of the nesting birds due to tour boat activity around Great Island. The minister has decided that a more cautious approach is warranted, and has directed departmental officials to investigate this new information more fully. In the meantime, reserve permits have been capped at last year's total of 10.

Kelly emphasized that until she has a full assessment of the potential negative impact on the birds, she is unwilling to increase the existing level of activity around either of the islands in the Witless Bay Reserve.

"Under the Wilderness and Ecological Reserves Act, my first responsibility is to protect the bird population within the reserve," Minister Kelly said. "I am comfortable that the current number of operators and passes around these islands does not pose a serious threat to the birds as long as the operators are observing the rules of the permit. However, a more thorough assessment is warranted before considering any increase in tour activity, especially in light of information received in the last few days."

At the close of this season, the department will design a new process for the issuing of these permits, based on all available scientific data, in preparation for the 1999 season. It is hoped that the new process will take a longer term view with respect to the permits, thereby enabling tour boat operators to have greater security than the year to year permits they currently receive.

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