Dewey Soper Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Nunavut - Ramsar Site

Overview (Principal Characteristics):

The site sits on a broad coastal plain with a unique assemblage of circular shallow lakes. It is marked by peat dominated soils and marshes with scattered granitic rock outcrops in an otherwise slightly sloping surface. It is underlain by calcareous bedrock.

Reason for Ramsar Designation:

The Sanctuary is a critical summer nesting area for up to two million migratory birds, particularly Lesser Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens), Canada Goose (Branta canadensis), Atlantic Brent (Branta bernicla hrota), Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) and King Eider (Somateria spectabilis). The area is a primary example of a rich Arctic coastal wetland plain. It is also habitat for one of Canada's major barren-ground caribou herds.

Date of Ramsar Designation:

24 May 1982.

Jurisdiction:

Federal - Environment Canada; Aboriginal - as per the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement.

Land Tenure:

• Site: Up to 1993, this area was federal Crown land. Ownership, land use and hunting rights are now governed by the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement. The southwest corner of this area is held in fee simple by the Inuit of Nunavut.

• Surrounding Area: Federal Crown land and Inuit lands.

Conservation Measures Taken:

The sanctuary was established in 1957, under the Migratory Bird Sanctuary Regulations of the Migratory Birds Convention Act of 1917. Under Article 9 of the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement, the sanctuary remains subject to the regulations of the Act.

Conservation Measures Proposed:

This area is subject to co-management agreements under the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement. The boundary of the sanctuary is under review and may increase.

Current Land Use/Activities in:

• Site: Hunting, trapping and fishing by local Inuit continue on this land. Land use permits are issued by the Canadian Wildlife Service under the Migratory Bird Sanctuary Regulations and by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada under the Territorial Land Use Regulations for the area. Sporadic Snow Goose surveys are conducted. Screening of projects under the Nunavut Impact Review Board is undertaken with certificates issued by the Nunavut Planning Commission. Permission is required to gain access to Inuit-owned land.

• Surrounding Area: Land use regulations of the Government of Nunavut apply to federal Crown land.

Threats to Integrity of:

• Site: No imminent threats.

• Surrounding Area: No imminent threats.

Status of Management Plan:

As part of the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement, a management plan for this area is required within five years of the declaration of the new Nunavut Territory in 1999.

Management Authority:

Canadian Wildlife Service
Environment Canada
P.O. Box 1714
Iqaluit, Nunavut
X0A 0H0