080121-08MN006-Sabina Hackett River Project Proposal ... - NIRB

Identification of Potential EnvironmentalEffects and Proposed Mitigationmultiyear ice in Peel Sound (DF Dickins Associates Ltd., 2004). Shipping which results in icebreak up may change movement pattern of marine mammals. Whales and seals may be attractedto open water after following ship passage to an area if ice is broken up and open areas can beused for breathing holes. Where ships are passing through open water, the shipping lane may beavoided by many species; however, avoidance is expected to be short term and negligible due tothe infrequency of ship traffic.Shipping traffic through Barrow Strait and Lancaster Sound could also disrupt daily and annualmovements of seabirds such as thick-billed murres and common and King eiders. For instance,the fall migration of thick-billed murres through Barrow Strait/Lancaster Sound is undertakenalmost entirely by swimming (Gaston and Hipfner, 2000). Thus, if ships are avoided byswimming murres, or if birds are attracted to the shipping lane due to creation of wider openwater areas, there is potential for disruption of fall migration. To date, there is no evidence foreffects of shipping on migrating seabirds in this region; however, there has not yet been muchtraffic through the Northwest Passage.Disturbance to Normal Wildlife Behaviours: All marine mammal and seabird species that usehabitat associated with the shipping lane and Bathurst Inlet may have their behaviours altereddue to project-related activities. Given the localized zone of influence of noxious stimuli fromboats and the infrequency of shipping traffic from the proposed project, activities in the marineenvironment are unlikely to have a direct impact on normal wildlife behaviours; when an impactis observed it is expected to be localized and short term in duration.Mortality: Mortality could occur due to project related activities along the shipping route ifmarine mammals or marine birds collide with ships, or if indirect effect of the ship such aschemical spills, occur. The incidences of encounters causing direct mortality along the shippinglane are assumed to be rare, but there may be some incidences of mortality of whales or marinemammals. Indirect mortality could also occur as a result of a spill from a ship.Reduction in Reproductive Success: There is suitable breeding habitat at various locations alongthe shipping route for multiple marine mammals and seabirds. Impacts of shipping onreproductive success of marine mammals are expected to be negligible due to the relatively smallzone of impact of the ships and infrequency of disturbance. However, multiple seabirds usingthe shipping route and habitat around the port at Bathurst Inlet, such as feeding areas andbehaviours may be affected by noise disturbances and the presence of ships, leading to habitatavoidance and abandonment of areas for relatively short periods of time. These changes maymanifest as lower individual fitness, thus reducing reproductive success.Proposed MitigationProposed mitigation measures that can avoid or minimize potential effects to marine wildlifeinclude:• avoid wildlife sensitive areas (by 10-20 km where possible);• minimize the use of ship horns in wildlife sensitive areas;January 2008 Hackett River Project – Project Proposal Sabina Silver CorporationReport Version B.1 7–32 Rescan Environmental Services Ltd. (Proj. #833-2)