Report Your Bank Swallow Observations in the EMR! Have you seen this bird on the offshore islands in the EMR or along the coastline? The bank swallow is a Threatened species and as its name would suggest, it nests in colonies found in vertical banks of sand or silt (see the photo below for an example). Please see the posted message from Environment Canada for a request for information on this Threatened species. The information will help with the development of a recovery strategy for this bird. Please report your sightings or knowledge of this bird to the EMRWB by [...]

Eeyou Marine Region and Nunavik Marine Region Wildlife Board Member Candidate Pool Are you passionate about wildlife? Put your knowledge to use! The Government of Canada is looking to establish a pool of candidates to serve on the Eeyou Marine Region and Nunavik Marine Region Wildlife Boards. Learn more about this Appointment opportunity here and submit your application before the August 3 deadline: https://www.canada.ca/.../env.../corporate/appointments.html

NOTICE The EMRWB would like the public to be aware that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) will be conducting a beluga whale survey by plane between July 20-August 30, 2021. The survey will be covering Hudson Bay and James Bay. If you see a plane over the bay during this time it may be the beluga survey planes, no need to be alarmed! Feel free to contact the EMRWB staff over Facebook or at wildlife@eeyoumarineregion.ca if you have any questions.

Reporting Rainbow Smelt in the EMR Have you seen this fish?             The EMRWB has been receiving reports of Rainbow Smelt caught in Waskaganish, Eastmain, and Wemindji. The Rainbow Smelt is an invasive species, meaning that it doesn't come from James Bay, and can have negative effects on native fish species. It is originally found on both the Pacific and the Atlantic coast, but they have started moving into the Great Lakes and the Hudson Bay watershed. Rainbow Smelt can negatively impact fish through competition for habitat and resources. Their main competitors are trout, cisco, [...]

Polar Bear Ecology Field Work in the EMR Last week, the EMRWB and CTA-EMR started our polar bear ecology research with Alexandra Langwieder from McGill University. Alex is placing cameras and hair snags along the coast and offshore islands to learn more about polar bear health, diet, and genetics. We will be sharing new information with the communities as the project progresses! So far, we have started work in Waskaganish and Eastmain. We would like to send our thanks to the amazing boat guides and technicians from last week, including Anderson Jolly , Bernard Diamond, Daniel Diamond, Wilfred Cheezo, Roussel [...]

FISHES Project Update - 2021 It is that time of year where our FISHES: Fostering Indigenous Small-scale fisheries for Health, Economy, and Food Security project is set to resume for 2021/2022. This project aims to provide us with sustainable fisheries management tools by identifying fish populations of Cisco, Whitefish, and Brook Trout. Using this information we can understand the impacts of climate change, development, and harvesting on subsistence fisheries. This project will be taking place in Waskaganish, Eastmain, Wemindji, Chisasibi, and Whapmagoostui. If you would like more information, please contact the EMRWB or the CTA-EMR Local Officer in your community. [...]

Happy Goose Break from the EMRWB! We would like to wish everyone a fun, safe, and productive Goose Break! Check out these great geese photos from our 2020 Photo Contest: Brian Stewart - Chisasibi Michel Gilles - Waskaganish   Mark Georgekish - Wemindji   Arnatuq Angatookalook - Whamagoostui

Come Pick Up Your 2021 EMRWB Calendar! Happy New Year! Our 2021 Calendar is now available for free in all five coastal communities! 🌅📷 Please pick up your copy at your local CTA office, as well as other public locations in the community! 🙂

Honorable mentions from the 2020 Eeyou Marine Region Photo Contest! Thank you to everyone who participated in our 2020 Photo Contest! We would like to extend an honorable mention to the other photographers whose pictures made it into our top 12. Our other top contenders were Naomi Crisp, Trudy Mark, Brain Stewart, Diana Roldan, Lorna Salt, Tabitha Snelgrove, Arnatuq Angatookalook, and Louie-Rene Kanatewat. Check out their pictures below! Naomi Crisp - Wemindji   Trudy Mark - Wemindji   Brian Stewart - Chisasibi Diana Roldan - Eastmain Louie-Rene Kanatewat - Chisasibi Lorna Salt - Waskaganish [...]