We gathered local ecological knowledge (LEK) on the ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea) from residents of three High Arctic communities in eastern Canada. This gull has always been uncommon, but Inuit had suggested that numbers of gulls were declining. LEK from Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay was clear and consistent, indicating that far fewer gulls are currently observed near the community compared to 25 years ago. The LEK from Arctic Bay was less consistent, although in general, community members thought that the species was less commonly observed. Observations from nonsystematic surveys by local wildlife officers corroborated the LEK data, and an aerial survey of the known colony locations on the Brodeur Peninsula (near Arctic Bay) found only one gull. Collectively, this information suggests that ivory gull populations are declining across the species' Canadian range. Systematic surveys will be needed to confirm these perceived declines.

No abstract

The Canadian Arctic provides important habitat for millions of marine birds. Some key habitat sites for these have already been protected, but many others lack official protected status and remain vulnerable to various anthropogenic threats. The authors worked with the community of Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut, to create two new National Wildlife Areas that protect the colonies, and the nearby marine area, of approximately 500,000 birds during the breeding season. The process has taken two decades to complete, in part due to misunderstanding and mistrust of government on the part of aboriginal residents. In this paper the path that led to the creation of these sites is traced. This has included the approach adopted to collaborating with the local community, incorporating aboriginal (local) ecological knowledge, conducting scientific surveys while building local capacity for further scientific investigation, and finding a solution that addressed the disparate interests of the various stakeholders in this process.

No abstract

We used aerial survey estimates, photographic censuses, and plot counts to examine trends in the size of five blacklegged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) colonies around Barrow Strait, eastern Nunavut, Canada, between 1972 and 2007. During these three decades, one small colony disappeared, two medium-sized colonies showed no overall trend, and one moderate and one large colony appeared to increase in size. Collectively, the number of kittiwakes breeding in this region may have increased by over 40%. Counts of kittiwakes at some colonies were markedly low in 2003, following two consecutive years of late, extensive sea ice, although overall there was no significant relationship between numbers of kittiwakes attending colonies and sea-ice extent in Barrow Strait and Lancaster Sound. It is not known why kittiwake colonies in High Arctic Canada have apparently increased while those in West Greenland and elsewhere have declined, or what factors influenced these changes.