May 2, 2008
Around the Arctic
Warm waters bad news for narwhal: study
Narwhal may face even greater dangers from climate change than the polar bear, according to a new study.
A paper, published by the journal Ecological Applications in March, evaluates which Arctic species face the greatest risks in a warmer world, and puts narwhal at the top of the list, followed by the polar bear and hooded seal.
The small whale, easily distinguished from a beluga by its long, spiralling horn - which is in fact a tooth - is considered to be at greatest risk because of its small population, limited range and diet.
Narwhals are specialists at living with thick sea ice. But this ice is melting. Scientists worry this may leave narwhal exposed to predators such as killer whales, which have been seen migrating further north during warm summers.
There are about 50,000 narwhal worldwide, scientists estimate. They spend their summers in shallow bays and fiords in the High Arctic, and migrate during the winter to deep waters covered with thick ice in places such as Davis Strait and Baffin Bay, where they're hunted by Inuit from northern Baffin Island and Greenland.
U.S. polar bear decision by May 15
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must decide by May 15 if the polar bear is an endangered species, a judge has ruled.
The ruling, made April 29, sides with three environmental groups who took the wildlife service to court for long delays on its decision, which was supposed to have been made by Jan. 9.
If the polar bear makes the U.S. endangered species list, it could have direct consequences for Inuit in Nunavut who are hired each year as guides for sports hunters, who largely come from the U.S.
Each polar bear sport hunt costs as much as $25,000, bringing an influx of money into job-starved communities. But, if the polar bear is classified as endangered, it would become illegal for U.S. hunters to return home with a polar bear trophy.
Northern economies booming: Statscan
Nunavut's economy set a record for growth last year, according to figures released this past Monday by Statistics Canada.
The economy grew 13 per cent in 2007, well above 2006's rate of 3.4 per cent, and second only to the Northwest Territories 13.1 per cent growth rate in 2007.
"Construction work at the Meadowbank gold mine [near Baker Lake], as well as mineral exploration throughout the territory, benefited from world demand for natural resources," the Statscan report stated.
The two eastern territories outperformed all other provinces and territories by a wide margin, with Newfoundland and Labrador's 9.1 per cent growth rate the only one coming close. Yukon's economy grew 3.8 per cent last year.
Canada's economy grew by 2.7 per cent last year.
