Commentary: What Impact Will the Oil Industry Have on Seabirds in the Canadian Arctic?

Abstract

Traditional environmental impact statements have not adequately discussed the impact on seabirds and other arctic marine life of oil at levels that do not cause immediately discernible toxological responses. "Of particular importance in this regard is the effect of oil at sublethal levels on individuals and populations that are already stressed at or near their levels of tolerance, i.e. under conditions where any additional stress, however small, could be the 'straw that breaks the camel's back'. Future EIS's would be of considerably more value if they were to address the impact of oil from the point of view of stress, though it must be realized a fully satisfactory quantitative assessment is impossible because of the lack of a fundamental understanding of stress levels and how they interact." Other stressors would include chronic discharges of wastes and increased human disturbance along with ships and aircraft. Specific factors contributing to overall stress can be reduced (e.g. restricting harvest of a species). The author urges more research be carried out for a better understanding of the general ecology of various species of seabirds.