The Migratory Bird Convention with Canada, signed in 1916, is North Americas oldest international wildlife conservation pact. The United States and Mexico signed a similar treaty in 1936. The treaties provide protection for species of migratory birds in North America, while permitting regulated hunting seasons for game birds. By barring all migratory bird hunting between March 10 and
September 1, the treaties did not adequately take into account traditional harvests of migratory birds by northern indigenous peoples during the spring and summer months. These harvests have gone on for centuries and continued despite the treaty prohibitions.
The finalized agreement with the Canadian government will improve the management of birds that migrate between the United States and Canada and permit regulated spring subsistence hunting for the indigenous peoples of Canada and Alaska. The amendments authorize the Fish and Wildlife Service to open a legal, regulated spring and summer harvest of migratory birds in Alaska for permanent residents of villages within subsistence harvest areas. The amendments also call for forming management bodies which will allow indigenous inhabitants of Alaska a role in conserving migratory birds, including developing and implementing regulations affecting the harvest of migratory birds and the collection of their eggs.
"Spring harvest of waterfowl remains an important part of northern village life," said David Allen, Alaska Regional Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. "This Protocol will help us conserve migratory birds by allowing sound scientific data to be collected on the spring harvest while striking an appropriate balance that will also help northern residents."
The United States will continue to develop the necessary regulatory processes to ensure the amendments are properly implemented. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will rely on authority under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 to establish spring harvest seasons in Alaska. The public will have ample opportunity to comment on regulations. The Service is currently considering various methods of establishing cooperative management bodies comprising indigenous inhabitants of Alaska and State and Service officials to recommend annual regulations for the hunts. As indicated in a Federal Register Notice published on August 31, 1999, the Service expects to have these management bodies in place by next year, and specific hunting regulations implemented by 2001. Until that time, the Service will rely on existing policy, established in 1988 and updated in 1999, allowing subsistence harvest compatible with sustainable conservation.
"The Service has long recognized the need to include subsistence hunting in our migratory bird planning process, and to give indigenous communities a voice in protecting the resources on which they depend," said Service Director Jamie Rappaport Clark. "These amendments reflect years of negotiations, and are a testimony to the commitment of both nations to migratory bird conservation."
Because no new harvests are being established, biologists expect the amendments to have little or no impact on either the number of birds flying south or the abundance of game species. In fact, the amendments should improve management of these birds by creating a partnership with indigenous peoples, who are stewards of some of the most important waterfowl habitat in the world.
The amendments to the migratory bird treaties also:
* Increase information exchanges and data collection among the three countries and Aboriginal and indigenous peoples, expanding the scientific base for migratory bird management;
* Update certain parts of the treaties including the species list and outdated protection measures;
* Provide a forum whereby the countries can work cooperatively to resolve migratory bird problems in a manner consistent with the principles underlying the treaties and, if necessary, design special actions or policies to conserve and protect species of concern.
While the amendments provide for a legal spring and summer harvest for some far northern peoples, the Canadian and American governments are required to ensure this migratory bird harvest is conducted in accordance with conservation principles. The United States will establish specific harvest regulations for spring and summer seasons in cooperation with local and state cooperative management organizations.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprised of more than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fish and wildlife management assistance offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies.
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