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October 12, 2000

Gilbert Bay identified as an Area of Interest under Marine Protected Areas Program

Gilbert Bay, Labrador - Lawrence O'Brien, Member of Parliament for Labrador, on behalf of Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today announced that Gilbert Bay, Labrador, has been identified as an Area of Interest in the Marine Protected Areas Program under the Oceans Act. This is the first region in Newfoundland and Labrador that has been identified as an Area of Interest.

"This MPA represents the culmination of an outstanding community-driven process which saw Fisheries and Oceans Canada working collaboratively with the province, aboriginal groups, municipalities and local communities to achieve a common vision for the future of this area," Mr. O'Brien said. "This is an excellent demonstration of Canada's new management approach towards oceans and their resources."

Gilbert Bay is located on Labrador's southeast coast, approximately 300 km from Goose Bay. The bay is 20 km long but less than 100 m deep with two narrow outlets to the sea, one at Williams Harbour and the other at Winard Tickle. This geophysical configuration contributes to the bay's unique character through semi-isolation from the Labrador Sea. The Gilbert Bay Area of Interest is approximately 47 square km.

Since 1996, scientists from Memorial University of Newfoundland have been studying the cod found in Gilbert Bay. They discovered a resident sub-population of Northern cod that are genetically distinct from other Labrador cod. Tagging and tracking of this reddish-brown cod has been used to identify spawning and rearing areas of the cod and has confirmed that the species remain in the bay year round.

Since this research has been conducted, people from the local communities of Port Hope Simpson and Williams Harbour, Memorial University officials and the provincial government have approached Fisheries and Oceans Canada to put in place conservation measures to protect the Gilbert Bay ecosystem.

Mr. O'Brien said, "People are concerned about the fish stocks and their habitat. Of particular interest is the cod stock that could be affected by a number of fishing activities. DFO has been working with local residents to have Gilbert Bay identified as an MPA."

Identification of a site as an Area of Interest is the first step in a comprehensive MPA evaluation process. MPAs are established to conserve and protect living marine resources and their habitats, areas of high biodiversity or productivity, endangered or threatened species and unique habitats.

The waters of Gilbert Bay support a wide range of marine resources including several species of shellfish (mussels, scallops, sea urchins, snail, shrimp), cod, pelagic fishes (herring, capelin, salmon, eel, smelt, trout), and aquatic plants (eel grass, kelp). The area is also inhabited by several species of waterfowl including black ducks, geese, and mergansers.

For information:

Heather Bala
Director of Communications
Minister's Office
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
(613) 996-0076

John Doody
Communications Officer
Fisheries & Oceans Canada
(709) 772-3971

Margaret Burden
Mayor, Town of Port Hope Simpson
Port Hope Simpson, Labrador
(709) 960-0222

George Russell
Chair, Williams Harbour Local Service District
Williams Harbour, Labrador
(709) 924-0287