Science Advisory Report 2010/026

Review of Alternate Ballast Water Exchange Zones for vessel traffic to Newfoundland and Labrador and the Canadian Arctic

Summary

Hudson Strait

• No information was presented to assess other areas for ABWEZ outside of Hudson Strait and the Hudson Bay complex.
• Based on the current knowledge of the oceanography and ecology of Hudson Strait and the Hudson Bay complex in general, it is recommended that the existing ABWEZ in Hudson Strait be modified to extend further east from the existing zone to increase the likelihood of ballast being carried out to the Labrador Current, and made narrower to minimize the risk of shoreline contamination by non-indigenous species.
• The Hudson Strait ABWEZ should be reassessed periodically as more information becomes available on the ecosystem, and vessel traffic conditions change.
• Consideration should be given to include the Labrador Sea in any reassessment and to consider if ballast water exchange outside of the current ABWEZ in Hudson Strait would reduce the risk of successful transfer of non-indigenous biota.

Beaufort Sea

• The science review of relevant information on the current level of knowledge of the ecology, oceanography, and shipping patterns in the Beaufort Sea region was conducted and concluded that no ABWEZ could be identified within the Beaufort Sea.
• Should the environment, ice conditions or the need to designate a zone change significantly over the coming years, the potential of an ABWEZ in the Beaufort Sea could be reassessed.

Newfoundland and Labrador

• Based on the review of the current navigation conditions and the ecological sensitivities of the areas for potential ABWEZs on the east coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, no ABWEZs are recommended at this time.
• For the northeastern coast of Newfoundland and Labrador region an ABWEZ could be located at least 50 nautical miles offshore and in water depths greater than 500 m; but further research is needed before formal recommendations could be made.
• For the southern and eastern coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador region, no ABWEZs are being recommended.

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