Much information on the growth of snow goose breeding colonies and associated
habitat destruction comes from work at the LaPerouse Bay breeding colony
on Hudson Bay. In recent years we have also learned more about the extent
of this problem across the rest of the arctic. Other snow goose populations
(breeding colonies) have expanded as well, further compounding habitat destruction.
Once the widespread and growing nature of the nrohlem became obvious, managers
began calling for action to prevent further population growth and habitat
loss. In March l 995, the Central Flyway Council passed a recommendation
urging the governments of the U.S. and Canada to "establish an independent
international committee comprised of appropriate experts to explore and
recommend management options for resolving arctic ecosystem degradation
caused by the overabundance of Mid-Continent snow geese."
In October 1995 a group of experts - researchers, biologists, managers and
administrators from across the U.S. and Canada - convened at Oak Hammock,
Manitoba. After a review of numerous reports on arctic nesting geese, the
group agreed the snow goose situation was indeed serious and needed to be
addressed.
A committee, named the Arctic Goose Habitat Work Group, was established
to address management and research issues associated with arctic nesting
geese. This work group is investigating the problem of too many snow geese,
and will recommend proposed solutions.
The group selected Dr. Bruce Batt, chief biologist for Ducks Unlimited in
Memphis, Tennessee as its chair. Dr. Batt is a renowned waterfowl biologist
with broad experience across the United States and Canada. Three teams were
formed to produce separate sections of the report.
Dr. Ken Abraham, a waterfowl research biologist with the Ontario Ministry
of Natural Resources, is heading the group working on a statement of the
problem what do we know about snow geese, their biology, population status,
distribution and the arctic habitats they depend on? Dr. Abraham has extensive
experience with arctic nesting geese and ecosystems.
Dr. Robert Rockwell, a snow goose expert with the American Museum of Natural
History, New York, is working on the section which models the population
dynamics of snow geese - what do we know about survival and productivity
in these birds and what level of harvest or other mortality would be needed
to reduce the population and to maintain it at a given level? Dr. Rockwell
has been involved with the LaPerouse Bay Snow Goose Project since it inception
in 1968 and currently heads the Hudson Bay Project which evolved from the
LaPerouse Bay study.
I was charged with investigating various management alternatives - what
management actions would be most feasible for reducing the population, increasing
mortality, or decreasing productivity?
The report is still in preparation, but a discussion of some of the concepts
and problems faced by this work group is appropriate.
Next Section (What can be done?)
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