WINNERS of the 2021 Eeyou Marine Region Photo Contest!Thank you to everyone who participated in this years’ contest! We had many great photos of the beautiful Eeyou Marine Region. This year we gave the Facebook community a chance to decide the winners, and we were pleased with the results. Below are the winners for each category:Cultural Category - 1st Prize: Sabrina Ashely (Whapmagoostui)2nd Prize: Layla Jane Miniquaken (Eastmain)3rd Prize: Katherine Dehm (Wemindji)Wildlife Category - 1st Prize: Steven Tremblay (Eastmain)2nd Prize: Steven Tremblay (Eastmain)3rd Prize: Steven Tremblay (Eastmain)Landscape Category -1st Prize: Mary Jane Salt (Waskaganish)2nd Prize: Howard MacDonald (Wemindji)3rd Prize: Naomi Crisp [...]

2021 Annual Photo Contest Send us your best photos of the Eeyou Marine Region! Photos may include year-round shots of wildlife, landscapes, hunting, fishing or other traditional activities in the Eeyou Marine Region (James Bay, Eastern coast or offshore islands). This year, we will have three submission categories including Marine Landscape, Marine Wildlife, and Cultural & Harvesting Activities. All photos submitted could be used to illustrate future EMR Wildlife Board publications, including an annual calendar, reports, newsletters,and the EMRWB website (with credit given to the photographer). The top 10 photos of each category will be posted on Facebook on October 15th, [...]

A Year in the Life of a Red Knot’ webinar for World Shorebirds Day The tiny Red Knot has captured the hearts of many nature lovers. It is most famous for its amazing 30,000 kilometers (or more than 18,000 miles) annual migration, but there are many more reasons to love a Red Knot. As part of an international celebration of World Shorebirds Day, Manomet, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Nature Canada, Moose Cree First Nation, Kashechewan First Nation, Mushkegowuk Council, SAVE Brasil, Centro Bahía Lomas, Universidad Santo Tomas, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources are hosting ‘A Year in the [...]

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. [...]