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Better yet, visit the island after the nesting sea
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Hi James and all,
I worked for the federal government for 17 years at senior levels in the days when the Coast Guard was part of Transport Canada so I have some significant experience in these issues and how they are best handled.
First off get copies of the photographs. I'll gladly edit them for presentation.
Send the photographs and covering letter to the federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the federal Minister of the Environment. Also copy the letter and photographs to the CBC, the Globe and Mail and the local Member of Parliament.
Do not deal with local officials at any level!
Hans
----- Original Message -----
From: James Hirtle
To: Naturens Naturens
Sent: Friday, August 14, 2009 10:57 PM
Subject: [NatureNS] Canadian Coast Guard - Tern enemy
An article to the editor of the Lunenburg Progress Enterprise/Bridgewater Bulletin does not make the Coast Guard very popular. This appears in the edition of Tues. Aug. 11, 2009 p. A17 I will quote it.
"Coast Guard Contributes to lack of tern population
I am writing in regards to the article in the July 28 issue concerning the "lack of roseate terns" in the area.
We operate the boat tour in Mahone Bay and were able to witness a surprising event this past July. We took pictures to be sure we weren't seeing things. The event we witnessed was a Canadian Coast Guard helicopter landing on our tiny, protected, Westhaver Island in Mahone Bay.
The government, through Environment Canada, has posted signs to keep away from designated islands from spring until late summer to protect endangered birds and their nesting sites. Students are also hired to study and hlep protect these nesting sites.
However, in one quick swoop, another government agency comes along and wipes out all this good work. The sky was dark with birds and feathers as we cruised past Westhaver Island that fateful day. I am no expert, but the wash from those helicopter blades, in my opinion, would do irreparable damageto those nesting birds and their young. Ihave talked to a summer resident who lives near the island and the helicopter has been seen at Westhaver Island in previous years.
Could the coast guard have used a more unobtrusive form of transportation to access the island? Of course they could have. Better yet, visit the island after the nesting season.
Could this be the reason there is a "lack of terns" in the area? I will be contacting the coast guard to ask them these questions and more. I invite any concerned citizens to do the same.
Let's hope our government agencies will work together in the future.
Gretchen and Chris Banfield, Upper LaHave"
There were 160 tern nests on the island, which included both common and arctic terns. I myself have noticed a vast drop in the numbers of terns in the area over the past three years. Especially roseate. It has been two years now since I have seen one of those terns here in this area and normally they were easy to see. Apparently last year there were six tern colonies off of Mahone Bay. This year only two were recorded. Anyhow, I thought a lot of you out there would be interested in this.
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Hi James and all,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I worked for the federal government for 17 years at senior
levels in the days when the Coast Guard was part of Transport Canada so I
have some significant experience in these issues and how they are best
handled.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>First off get copies of the photographs. I'll gladly
edit them for presentation.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Send the photographs and covering letter to the federal
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the federal Minister of the
Environment. Also copy the letter and photographs to the CBC, the Globe
and Mail and the local Member of Parliament.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Do not deal with local officials at any
level!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Hans</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=jrhbirder@hotmail.com href="mailto:jrhbirder@hotmail.com">James
Hirtle</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
href="mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">Naturens Naturens</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, August 14, 2009 10:57
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [NatureNS] Canadian Coast Guard
- Tern enemy</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>An article to the editor of the Lunenburg Progress
Enterprise/Bridgewater Bulletin does not make the Coast Guard very
popular. This appears in the edition of Tues. Aug. 11, 2009 p. A17
I will quote it.<BR> <BR>"Coast Guard Contributes to lack of tern
population<BR> <BR>I am writing in regards to the article in the July 28
issue concerning the "lack of roseate terns" in the area.
<BR> <BR>We operate the boat tour in Mahone Bay and were able to witness
a surprising event this past July. We took pictures to be su