Two-thirds of Canada’s National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries are threatened by harmful public uses, such as poaching, boating, off-highway vehicle use, and wildlife harvesting. Visitors are also trampling sensitive vegetation and disturbing nesting birds

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This problem is greatest in Canada’s most populated regions. For example, the nine National Wildlife Areas in southwestern Ontario are home to some of the last remaining natural lands in the entire region, but they are all under acute stress from public overuse.

Only five of the network’s 143 sites have on-site staff to control the ever-increasing number of visitors.

Here are four cases of harmful public uses.

Off-highway vehicles destroy bog in Sand Pond National Wildlife Area
Sand Pond National Wildlife Area in southern Nova Scotia is a critical migration and staging area for thousands of American black ducks and other waterfowl. Pristine regions of this protected area are now at risk because of the access created by an illegal bridge built by off-highway vehicle enthusiasts. A natural cranberry bog was recently torn up beyond recognition when a rally was held through the delicate wetland.Egg collection and poaching a concern at seabird nesting colonies

Egg collection and poaching a concern at seabird nesting colonies
Public disturbance of nesting bird colonies along the St. Lawrence River and in the Great Lakes poses a serious threat to a variety of birds and can result in overall population decline. For instance, at the turn of the century Œle Sainte-Marie Migratory Bird Sanctuary was home to 350,000 pairs of common murres. Today there are a mere 20,000 pairs. Egg collecting, poaching, and disturbance of the nesting birds are suspected causes of this dramatic decline.

Cruise ships a potential threat at Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area
Increasing numbers of cruise ships are entering Arctic waters so tourists can visit seabird colonies such as the one at Nirjutiqavvik (Coburg Island) National Wildlife Area off the southeast tip of Ellesmere Island. Some seabirds are sensitive to human presence, particularly when nesting. For example, murres nest on narrow ledges and when humans approach the ledges too closely the incubating birds can suddenly leave their nests, dislodging their single eggs or leaving them open to predation by gulls. Depending on the levels of disturbance, reproductive output for the year can be substantially diminished.

Motorboats and jet skis disrupt nesting water birds in Southern Ontario
Motorboats, jet skis, and other recreational activities are disrupting herons and terns that nest on Eleanor Island National Wildlife Area and Mohawk Island National Wildlife Area in southern Ontario. Motorized watercrafts disturb the birds, causing them to leave their eggs or fledglings unattended and, therefore, vulnerable to predators. .