Towards a Sustainable Future in Hudson Bay

by Glen Okrainetz

 Hudson Bay is one of the largest inland seas in the world. Although it dominates the map of Canada, it does not occupy a similarly dominant niche in either the public eye or in government policy processes. It is surrounded by three provinces whose jurisdiction stops at the sea edge, but whose influence extends over the entire ecosystem by virtue of provincially controlled and encouraged industrial activities and land usage. The northwestern coastline, and the islands-all part of the Northwest Territories-shape the flow of arctic waters into, and out of, Hudson Bay. The marine ecosystem is a federal responsibility, so that while the management of Hudson Bay itself is in the domain of one level of government (federal), inputs from the watershed are largely the domain of other levels of government (provincial). As well, the settlement of the Nunavut claim and the process of devolution will add to the complicated political nature of the Hudson Bay bioregion; this includes James Bay, Hudson Strait and all interconnecting channels.

To complicate further these politically muddy waters, Hudson Bay receives the run-off from large areas of southern Saskatchewan and Alberta, and parts of North Dakota. To what extent do anthropogenic activities in these distant portion of the drainage basin influence the health of the Hudson Bay ecosystem?

The final component of this complex puzzle is its global scale. The long range transportation of airborne pollutants (from as far away as southeast Asia, or as near as southern Ontario), global climate change, and depletion of the ozone layer, all have as yet unknown effects on the health of the marine environment of Hudson Bay.

How significant are these physical inputs to the health of Hudson Bay? How do local, regional and global effects interact-do some cancel others out, or do they compound them? What are the long-term implications for the flora and fauna and for the people who depend on a healthy ecosystem as a primary food source?

The lack of answers, both about the future of Hudson Bay and about the future of the people who reply on it, contributed directly to the inception of the Hudson Bay Program. The absence of a long-term vision within the various governments who are responsible for the Hudson Bay bioregion was another significant factor in its formation. To find some answers, and a new paradigm, CARC joined forces with the Rawson Academy of Aquatic Science and the Environmental Committee of Sanikiluaq, to develop, fund and implement the Hudson Bay Program. This collaborative study has been made possible by strong support from charitable foundations which recognized that the Hudson Bay Program was stepping into the breach in an era of vital importance, and doing so in an innovative and timely fashion.

The Hudson Bay Program is on the cutting edge of research in at least three respects:

In fact, none of the economic developments that affect Hudson Bay have ever been subjected to a federal environmental assessment on a project by project basis, let alone from the perspective of identifying potential cumulative impacts. One purpose of the Hudson Bay Program is to fill the vacuum created by governments in this crucial area.

 Cumulative Impact Assessment

The study of possible cumulative impacts is necessary in order to determine whether, or not, changes have already been set in motion that are detrimental to the long-term health of the marine ecosystem and the people who rely on it. In addition, such a study would help to assess the severity of changes expected, possible policy responses to mitigate or avoid an impact, and the effect of additional industrial developments in the Hudson Bay bioregion.

A cumulative impact assessment can be seen as a method of diagnosing the health of a patient who has been subjected to many different potentially harmful substances, and assessing the extent to which the patient can be further exposed before death ensues. In the longer term, the results of a cumulative impact assessment can be used as a planning tool to develop strategies to encourage forms of economic activity that are environmentally sustainable.

In the past, developments which have affected Hudson Bay were conceived, planned, approved, built and operated on a project by project basis. Thus, the hydroelectric developments in the Churchill/Nelson, Moose and La Grande river basins have all been conducted independently of each other. There is now a growing consensus that inspite of the large size of Hudson Bay, it is possible that the effects of one development could be compounded by, or act in concert with, other developments. This realization is formalized in the text of the final guidelines for the preparation of an environmental impact statement for the proposed Great Whale/Grande Baleine hydroelectric development in Quebec. The notion of cumulative impacts has also surfaced in the scoping hearings on the Conawapa project proposed for the Nelson River in Manitoba.

The Hudson Bay Program is not prejudging the outcome of its research. Within the boundaries of the Program, there are two hypotheses: On the one hand, it may be that Hudson Bay is a sufficiently large body of water that can accommodate present changes, and perhaps future development as well, without serious consequence to the health of the bioregion. Alternatively, it may be that the existing developments have already set in train a series of changes that, over time, will have significant negative consequences for the ecosystem and the people who rely on it. The point is, we just do not know. The purpose of the Program, therefore, is to find out where Hudson Bay is on this spectrum, in order to be informed on the advisability of proceeding with further developments.

The Hudson Bay Program will not conduct scientific field research. Instead, the goal is to scan the published literature and consult with leading experts in an effort to identify biophysical factors that are likely to be significantly affected by the cumulative influence of hydroelectric and other developments within and outside the region. Work related to this task will emphasize key factors influencing or controlling the health and integrity of the marine, freshwater and estuarine ecosystems-often referred to as valued ecosystem components (VEC). This review will also identify gaps in the available scientific information base and critical research needs.

The first step in the process of review was the preparation of an annotated bibliography focusing exclusively on the Hudson Bay bioregion. This has just recently been assembled. With financial assistance from Environment Canada, largely through cooperation and contributions from the provincial governments and public utilities in the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, several federal departments, as well as academic and private research institutions. This bibliography will be used in the preparation of the science overview paper, and will be of particular value when detailed science papers are commissioned later in Phase I.

It is the hope of the Program that the overview paper will be completed in draft form by December 30, 1992. It will then be circulated widely for comment. The revised report will be released in March 1993, as the basis for a major workshop on cumulative effects in Hudson Bay which will be hosted by the Hudson Bay Program. Experts will be invited from all levels of government, the three electrical utilities, academic and private research institutions, aboriginal groups and non-government organizations; to discuss the scientific data base available in Hudson Bay, to develop hypotheses about potential cumulative impacts and to select the most critical topics for which detailed scientific papers should be commissioned. These papers will form the basis of discussion in the second cumulative effects workshop to be held in the fall of 1993.

The results that emerge from the second scientific workshop will hopefully include:

Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Until a few years ago, the Inuit of Sanikiluaq had nor considered the possibility that their way of life might be threatened by activities beyond the horizon. Since then they have worked hard to learn about the potential problems which the future may hold for them because of old and new economic developments.

The Belcher Islands lie 90 kilometres off the east coast of Hudson Bay in the vicinity of polynyas (open water leads in the winter ice cover). The local Inuit have long benefited from this location because of the richness of sea life in and around the polynyas. But, the same waters that provide food could now bring sickness. This is a real cause for concern in Sanikiluaq.

The community did not have the resources to study the potential threat to their way of life posed by cumulative impacts. The federal government was not studying changes in Hudson Bay in a comprehensive way, or including native peoples in the studies which were being done; neither were the hydro utilities. This was why the people of Sanikiluaq became involved in the Hudson Bay Program.

Sanikiluaq brings to the Hudson Bay Program Inuit traditional knowledge of the southern portion of Hudson Bay. Inuit have developed and are carrying out the Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Management Systems, or TEKMS, study.

Why is traditional knowledge useful?

Inuit and Cree have relied on the resources of Hudson Bay for thousands of years. During this time, a collective body of knowledge has been gathered from observation and experience that has been passed down through the generations, by song, story and dance. This oral history goes beyond simple documentation of events. It represents an understanding of a dynamic ecosystem and the complex relationships that govern the behaviour of animals, fish and birds. This collective knowledge forms a data base for predictive modeling, for forecasting, and for selecting harvest areas.

As TEK is not organized in a manner compatible with the digestive tract of western scientists, it is often dismissed as "anecdotal evidence", or at best, a description or perception of the environment. This is changing; gradually. There is a new breed of scientist now willing to examine TEK without the constraints imposed by the reductionist approach. The scientific community is beginning to recognize the benefits of the knowledge of aboriginal peoples.

The goal of the Program is to help the Inuit and Cree people of Hudson Bay bring forward their knowledge in such a way that it can be integrated into the cumulative effects assessment. The focus will be on documenting changes that active harvesters of resources have observed while in the field. This goes beyond most published TEK studies that have been conducted to date, which have emphasized land use and occupancy by aboriginal peoples. In the past, most TEK research has focused on where people hunt, trap and fish; the quantity and quality of the harvest; and continuity of resource use, etc. TEK has several useful features as a data base. One is that data can be independently verified by separate interviews with people who harvest in the same area. Changes over time can also be enumerated by collecting information about one area from several generations of users. The collective memory offered through oral history can also provide insight for periods of time prior to the birth of the oldest elder.

A key to collecting and utilizing TEK in assessing cumulative effects is to avoid entering into the exercise with preconceived notions of what to expect. The reductionist approach of hypothesis testing is not appropriate to TEK collection or analysis; rather it is important to seek the information and let patterns of change emerge through its collation and display.

The TEKMS study is now underway. It started with a workshop in Sanikiluaq at the end of September. People from Inuit and Cree communities in northern Quebec, Cree communities in northern Manitoba, and Inuit communities from Keewatin, Southampton Island and Baffin Island attended. It was the first time that aboriginal people from around Hudson Bay and James Bay had met to discuss the environment. There was a sense that it will not be the last meeting, since it was discovered that there are a lot of common concerns beyond the environment, and everybody gained from sharing and talking.

Over the winter, traditional ecological knowledge will be collected by visiting communities around Hudson Bay and asking the people to describe the environment in which they and their ancestors have lived.

The TEKMS study is tightly focused. Traditional knowledge is being collected in order to:

• describe important biological, physical and human ecological processes influencing the behaviour of ecological communities in Hudson and James bays;
• identify ecological changes occurring in Hudson and James bays, and surrounding lands;
• assess effects of human activities including hydroelectric, mining and forestry developments on economically and ecologically important species.

Over the next two years, the Hudson Bay Program will provide a neutral forum for all interested parties to work in partnership to tackle cumulative impact assessment (Phase b, and sustainable development (Phase II), in the Hudson Bay bioregion. During 1993, work on Phase I will be concluded and the foundations laid for the implementation of Phase II.

The Hudson Bay Program is not a vehicle for long-term work in Hudson Bay. The Program will hopefully "jump start" the political process and help to create an atmosphere of cooperation between governments, public utilities, aboriginal organizations, communities and other residents in Hudson Bay. Hopefully, Phase II will help these players to work as a team for the long-term betterment of all.

Only time will tell.

Glen Okrainetz is a CARC staff member and is the manager of the Hudson Bay Program.