For nearly 80 years, the Convention has provided for the U.S. and Canada but has become out of date. The amendments were pursued in order to update and improve the conservation of migratory birds, ensure conformity between the Convention and the rights of Aboriginal people of Canada, and provide a legal basis for customary and traditional taking of certain species in rural areas of Alaska.
Upon ratification of the amendments (and implementing regulations) it will be legal for Indigenous inhabitants of Alaska and Aboriginal people of Canada to harvest migratory birds as they have done for centuries. In addition, a customary murre hunt in Labrador and Newfoundland will be legal and subject to a management regime. For the United States, it will be necessary to modify the U.S.-Mexico Convention to fully implement the Alaska hunt as envisioned. Currently, the U.S.-Mexico Convention has a prohibition on the taking of ducks between March 10 and September 1.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment Sheila Copps, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Andre Ouellett, and Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt welcomed the successful conclusion of the negotiations held in Parksville, British Columbia.
"The agreement ensures the continued viability of the Migratory Bird Convention and the continued conservation of the migratory birds shared by Canada and the United States," said Minister Copps. "This is a significant agreement for Aboriginal people and for conservation.
"Upon ratification, these amendments will bring the 1916 Convention into conformity with Aboriginal and treaty rights and our obligations under the Canadian constitution," stated Mr. Ouellett. "The negotiations are a milestone in the continued close cooperation between Canada and the United States that has marked our joint environmental stewardship.
According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Mollie Beatie, "These amendments ensure the future of one of the oldest and most effective conservation treaties in North America and will help fulfill our responsibility to Indigenous peoples. They reinforce the international efforts and our commitment to effectively managing migratory birds for the benefit of all people.
The conservation principles reinforced within the protocol include managing migratory birds internationally, sustaining a variety of uses, maintaining healthy migratory bird populations, conserving habitat, and restoring depleted populations.
In addition, the amendments seek to recognize the principal of respect for Aboriginal and Indigenous knowledge and institutions. The principles are an important step toward embracing partnerships with Aboriginal people and for including all users meaningfully in the continued management of migratory birds.
FWS
