Arctic priority place

Western Arctic

The Western Arctic component of the Arctic Priority Place includes the offshore component of the Yukon North Slope and westward towards Cape Bathurst. The area includes the Mackenzie trough, estuary and nearshore Beaufort Shelf. The offshore component of the area includes Kugmallit Canyon. The southern portion of the area extends to Inuvik in the Mackenzie Delta.

Key threats

Key threats to the SARA and COSEWIC-listed marine mammal species in the western arctic include acoustic disturbance primarily from marine traffic, industrial development, seismic exploration and climate change. Northern fish species are also impacted by climate change but face other threats related to over harvesting and limited areas of occupancy.

Eastern Arctic

The Eastern Arctic component of the Arctic Priority Place starts at the northern tip of Lancaster Sounds and extends to the east along Canada’s Exclusive Economic Zone south to the norther portion of Hatton Basin. This section of the priority area includes the Baffin Bay shelf Break and Baffin Bay proper. From this point the area extends south to include Ungava Bay and the southern shore of Hudson Strait. The Eastern portion of this area encompasses the western point of southern Hudson Strait to the western shore of northern Hudson Bay. From here the area includes all of Foxe Basin, Fury and Hecla Strait, and the Gulf of Boothia.

Key threats

Key threats to the SARA and COSEWIC-listed marine mammal species in the western arctic include acoustic disturbance primarily from marine traffic and seismic exploration, entanglement due to fishing activities and climate change. Due to the high level of traffic and use in this area some marine mammals are at also at risk of ship strikes and overharvesting. Fish species in this area are also impacted by climate change but face other threats related to over harvesting and bycatch.

Aquatic SARA Schedule 1-listed species at risk found at the Arctic priority place

Examples of recovery activities that DFO is seeking to support in the Arctic priority place

• Development, refinement and/or implementation of alternative technologies, best practices or tools to prevent, mitigate or monitor impacts from fishing interactions and physical and acoustic disturbance on aquatic species at risk. This may include a variety of initiatives such as, but not limited to:
  • industry-led measures to find and remove ghost gear
  • measures to minimize marine mega-plastics from commercial fishing activities (e.g. bait box “liners”, and plastic “strappings” around new fish/shellfish product bags & boxes)
  • methods to accurately update estimates of and measures to reduce “struck and loss” marine mammals at risk during subsistence hunting activities
  • development or testing of modifications to fishing gear and/or practices to reduce the frequency or severity of interactions with species at risk
• Education for industry and operators and others regarding the presence and threats to aquatic species at risk and their habitat
• Identification, documentation or monitoring of aquatic species at risk, their habitats and threats.
• Necessary or vital research to address key knowledge gaps and better understand aquatic species at risk, their habitats and threats
• Support for partnerships, relationship building, and the establishment of venues for continued collaboration, information and knowledge sharing