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Volume 53, No. 2

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Bonavista Bay murre hunters in Newfoundland and Labrador propose further interaction with biologists and managers.


Authors

C. Wayne Humphries1, Grant R. W. Humphries2, Alexandra M. C. Robbins3, & Gail S. Fraser1
1Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada (gsfraser@yorku.ca)
2Black Bawks Data Science Ltd., Drynachan, Invergarry, PH35 4HL, United Kingdom
3NatureScot, Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness, IV3 8NW, United Kingdom

Citation

Humphries, C. W., Humphries, G. R. W., Robbins, A. M. C., & Fraser, G. S. 2025. Bonavista Bay murre hunters in Newfoundland and Labrador propose further interaction with biologists and managers.. Marine Ornithology 53: 223 - 234
http://doi.org/10.5038/2074-1235.53.2.1641

Received 01 May 2024, accepted 16 December 2024

Date Published: 2025/10/15
Date Online: 2025/08/26
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Key words: hunter opinions, murres, conservation, harvest regulations, Migratory Bird Convention Act, MBCA, Uria aalge, Uria lomvia

Abstract

Thick-billed Murres Uria lomvia and Common Murres U. aalge, seabirds with low reproductive rates, delayed reproduction, and high adult survivorship, are hunted in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) by non-Indigenous residents. The traditional hunt has a complex regulatory history as a result of NL joining Canada in 1949 and the protection of non-game species under the Migratory Bird Convention Act. Thirty hunters from the northeastern region of the island of Newfoundland were interviewed about their knowledge of murres, their hunting practices, and their opinions on current hunting regulations. While the hunters had detailed local species knowledge from the region they hunted, most had a limited understanding of the broader aspects of the species' ecologies, such as breeding locations. Most (76.6%) interviewees said that they would be willing to participate in harvest surveys if the surveys were made mandatory. Interviewees highlighted the need for resource managers to conduct on-the-ground hunter training and engagement. In general, sustainable harvests under current regulations are more likely to succeed if communities are actively engaged through consultations that encourage hunters to participate in conservation efforts.

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