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An Open Letter Regarding the Sable Island Station (November 2004).
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Delivered to Ministers Stéphane Dion and Geoff Regan on November 17th, and submitted to Canadian print and radio news media on November 21st.
The Honourable Stéphane Dion Minister of Environment
House of Commons, Parliament Buildings
The Honourable Geoff Regan Minister of Fisheries & Oceans 1801 Hollis Street, Suite 1210 Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3N4
Dear Minister Dion and Minister Regan:
The Federal Government is presently considering the future of the Sable Island Station, and it appears that closing, or downsizing, the Station are two options being discussed. Either would be a grave and irreversible mistake.
As recent newspaper and radio accounts have emphasized, the continuous human presence at the Sable Island Station provides necessary year-round stewardship for the Island, as well as support for a wide range of programs relevant to Canada’s interests in realms of sovereignty, safety, terrestrial, marine and atmospheric research and monitoring, education and heritage. Station staff ensure safe and cost-effective operations for the many university, government, industry and private researchers who work on the Island throughout the year, and for the numerous visiting media groups, artists and writers, both from Canada and abroad.
Although it could be argued that Fisheries & Oceans and Environment Canada have the greatest investments on the Island, the Station provides infrastructure and services in support of at least six federal departments. In addition to Environment Canada and Fisheries & Oceans, Transport Canada, Foreign Affairs, National Defence, and Heritage all have interests and responsibilities – of regional, national and international significance – on and about Sable Island.
That many federal departments and branches have interests and responsibilities is the reason the Station serves Canadians so well. The Station offers a highly productive, and unique, synergistic environment. However, in the present circumstances, it would seem that this synergy might be in jeopardy within the federal government. We now hear from some representatives of federal departments who claim that their programs can proceed without a Station on the Island. The Canadian Wildlife Service (Environment Canada), for example, claims it can provide stewardship of the Island’s natural values remotely, without a manned presence, a contention rejected by the expert Conservation Committee appointed by CWS to examine the issue in autumn 2003.
Indeed, the need for a continuous human presence on Sable Island has increased with recent federal government initiatives. An example is the national Oceans Action Plan, noted in the October 2004 Throne Speech, which represents the implementation of Canada's Oceans Strategy by Fisheries and Oceans. The Island’s location makes it an invaluable platform for monitoring and research programs relevant to understanding the dynamics, ecological parameters and health of the marine environment of the Scotian Shelf region and the greater Northwest Atlantic area.
A public meeting held in Halifax on October 5th drew about 250 people – there was standing room only in the conference room. The large attendance and comments from the audience clearly indicated the level of public interest in Sable Island and public support for the Sable Island Station and the need for continuous human presence on the Island.
The primary issue is funding. The Station costs roughly $1 million/year to operate, half of which is already available from programs underway on the Island and contributions from partners such as the Province of Nova Scotia. That leaves a core funding shortfall of $500,000. Reliable long-term core funding must come from Ottawa. With stable and assured funding, further economies, such as alternative energy sources, could certainly be achieved.
The second issue is management. The recent attempts to transfer the management of Station operations to a volunteer organization have not succeeded, and there is growing public support for the idea that government or a multi-stakeholder management board should manage the Island and operate the Sable Island Station.
Mr. Dion and Mr. Regan, we respectfully ask that the Sable Island issue be taken to Cabinet without delay, that long-term funding to support the Station be made available, and that the federal government maintain the central primary role in operating and managing the Island.
Sincerely,
Richard F. Addison Former Head, Ocean Chemistry Division, DFO Institute of Ocean Sciences Sidney, British Columbia (Currently Senior Visiting Fellow, Korean Ocean Research and Development Institute, Geoje, Korea)
Keith Betteridge University Professor Emeritus, Department of Biomedical Sciences Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario
Fiona C. Buchanan Professor, Department of Animal & Poultry Science University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Mark Butler Marine Issues Coordinator, Ecology Action Centre Halifax, Nova Scotia
Mary-Louise Byrne David W. Coltman Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
Pierre-Yves Daoust Professor of Wildlife Pathology, Atlantic Veterinary College University of Prince Edward Island Charlelottetown, Prince Edward Island
Thomas J. Duck Professor, Department of Physics & Atmospheric Science Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia
Bill Freedman Chair, Biology Department, Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia
Chris Harvey-Clark
Animal Care Centre, University of British Columbia Andrew G. Horn Biology Department, Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia
Sara Iverson Professor, Biology Department, Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia
Marc Lamoureux Coordinator, Environmental Studies Program Saint Mary’s University Halifax, Nova Scotia
Marty Leonard Professor, Biology Department, Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia
Zoe Lucas Sable Island Green Horse Society Halifax, Nova Scotia
Arthur W. Mansfield Donald F. McAlpine Curator of Zoology, New Brunswick Museum Saint John, New Brunswick
Ian McLaren Professor Emeritus, Biology Department, Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia
Arthur I. Ortenburger
Associate Professor, Department of Health Management
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island David Patriquin Professor, Biology Department, Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia
James I. Raeside University Professor Emeritus, Department of Biomedical Sciences Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario
Roxanne Richardson Professor, Saint Mary’s University Halifax, Nova Scotia
Tarjei Tennessen Professor, Nova Scotia Agricultural College Truro, Nova Scotia
Hal Whitehead Professor, Biology Department, Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia
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