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Abstract
The Inuvialuit Settlement Region of the Western
Canadian Arctic is one of the most important breeding areas
for geese and swans in North America. As well as being of
international conservation significance, the waterfowl from
the Inuvialuit Settlement Region make up an important part
of the subsistence diet of the local Aboriginal people, and the
spring waterfowl hunt is a cultural tradition of the Inuvialuit.
To establish appropriate baseline population estimates for
future comparisons and long-term management of sustainable
harvests, a number of goose and swan surveys were conducted
in the region between 1989 and 2001. The studies
reported in this Occasional Paper include (1) aerial surveys
on the mainland Inuvialuit Settlement Region to determine
the distribution and abundance of Black Brant Branta
bernicla nigricans, 1995–1998, (2) aerial surveys of breeding
and moulting Brant on Banks Island, 1992–1994, (3) aerial
counts of Greater White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons,
Canada Geese Branta canadensis, and Tundra Swans Cygnus
columbianus on the mainland Inuvialuit Settlement Region,
1989–1993, (4) Inuvialuit local knowledge about populations
and important areas for waterfowl near the communities of
Sachs Harbour on Banks Island and Holman on western
Victoria Island, (5) monitoring numbers of Lesser Snow
Geese Anser caerulescens caerulescens at the small and
vulnerable mainland colonies at Kendall Island and Anderson
River Migratory Bird Sanctuaries, 1996–2001, and (6) an
investigation of visibility correction factors for helicopter
transect counts of waterfowl.
The surveys greatly enhance our knowledge of the
distribution, abundance, and productivity of geese and swans
in the Western Canadian Arctic. The results are interpreted
in conjunction with what we know about the status, harvest,
and variety of environmental pressures acting on these populations
— both within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and
elsewhere in North America. At a continental level, most
species are currently harvested near the maximum allowable
level, and this, along with other stressors acting during the
fall–winter period, may negatively impact several local populations
that are declining or already exist in low numbers.
On the breeding grounds, proposed oil and gas development
and global climate warming are relatively new threats that
could cause additional conservation problems. A number of
information needs and recommendations to enhance the
management of the waterfowl populations of the region are
presented.
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