Grand Codroy is a beautiful rural landscape that has social and cultural values. This is because the watershed and estuary of the Grand Codroy River is the most accessible and comfortable place for aquatic birds. Accordingly, nearly three thousand Branta canadensis geese live there in winter and autumn. At the same time, more than a thousand black ducks Anas rubripes arrive in late September to find shelter too. The relevance of these sites is also underscored by the fact that Pintail Anas acuta, Green-winged Teal Anas crecca carolinensis, American Wigeon Anas americana, and Greater Scaup Aythya marila also occur in smaller numbers. Moreover, there is a tendency for low concentrations of shorebirds, and the disappearing plover nested on the sandbar at the estuary of the estuary in 1992 did not fly to these places anymore (IBA Canada, n.d.). Thus, problems of the unsuitability of sites for nesting and the life of birds arise, which should be solved.
The favorable conditions of the estuary make it a breeding ground for waterfowl and life. For example, the population of Canadian geese living at the estuary is atypically large for Canada. Observations from 1984 to 1995 indicated an average of 1,385 birds at the estuary, more than 1% of the North Atlantic Canada goose population (BirdLife International, 2022). At the same time, studies have demonstrated that about nineteen other bird species can also be found in this area, although their numbers are quite small. These include Wood Duck, Green-winged Teal, American Black Duck, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, Lesser and Greater scaup, and Common and Red-breasted merganser populations (IBA Canada, n.d.).
Moreover, such rare birds as Eurasian Wigeon and Tufted Duck were also found during the monitoring. The Ramsar Convention provides a framework for international, national, and local wetland conservation activities. The importance of research (MRP) is to identify opportunities for wetland conservation using the principles of ecosystem management and the science of sustainability (De Groot et al., 2012). This is critical, wetlands and people form interconnected socio-ecological systems of ecological, economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value.
It is interesting to mention that the definition of wetlands and their types vary worldwide. However, the Ramsar Convention unified the meaning and commented that they are “areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters, areas where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life” (Matthews, 1993, p. 38). Thus, the convention was signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, and its purpose was to promote the wise use of significant ecosystems, including wetlands, lakes, and rivers (Matthews, 1993). It is pointed out that reasonable use will help preserve aquatic ecosystems through a list of wetlands, which are granted a special international status.
Grand Codroy is an area that has a wide tributary of the river with open water reaching two meters. In addition, it is necessary to mention that the territory of the estuary has wetlands 7 km long, which are not homogeneous. They vary in width from 1 to 1.5 km and narrow to a 100-meter channel at the entrance to the ocean (Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands, 2022). There is also no more than fifteen percent of the Grand Codroy River, and the rest of the area is shallow, brackish wetlands with plains and sandy spit exposed at low tide. Considering that parts of the tideland are overgrown with grass, the surrounding areas are utilized as farms. Significantly, as early as 1974, it was forbidden to hunt in theory by order of the provincial council (IBA Canada, n.d.). At the same time, the lands were placed under the jurisdiction of the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Hence, almost one hundred and four hectares of the area were protected. There is a debate about how to protect this territory effectively. The annual waterfowl association station is now operational during September and early October. However, the surrounding land is still used for agricultural activities. Davidson notes that “the global long-term loss of wetlands is probably as high as 87% of the 18th century” (Davidson, 2014, p.3). Consequently, there are specific threats that need to be addressed to ensure the conservation of flora and fauna in the area. Challenges include the fact that the use of the hill could harm waterfowl due to possible siltation at the mouth of the river; additionally, surrounding land uses negatively impact wildlife. For example, it is house building and human activities conducting spring burning.
Hence, the Ramsar Convention is a precious international instrument regulating international cooperation on wetland protection. It encourages the development of wetlands and the maintenance of biodiversity, which ensures the conservation of bird populations. It should also be emphasized that the overall contribution and governance of wetlands can positively affect the reproduction and protection of rare birds. Thus, it is crucial to encourage the cooperation of all stakeholders in order to succeed.
References
Davidson, N. C. (2014). How much wetland has the world lost? Long-term and recent trends in global wetland area. Marine and Freshwater Research, 65(10), 934. Web.
BirdLife International. (2022). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Codroy Valley Estuary. Web.
De Groot, R., Brander, L., Van Der Ploeg, S., Costanza, R., Bernard, F., Braat, L., Christie, M., Crossman, N., Ghermandi, A., Hein, L., Hussain, S., Kumark, P., McVittie, A., Portela, R., Rodriguez, L. C., Brink, P. & van Beukering, P. (2012). Global estimates of the value of ecosystems and their services in monetary units. Ecosystem services, 1(1), 50-61. Web.
IBA Canada. (n.d.). Codroy valley Estuary Doyles, Newfoundland. Web.
Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands. (2022). Canada 22: Grand Codroy Estuary, Newfoundland. Web.
Matthews, G. V. T. (1993). The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: its history and development. Gland: Ramsar Convention Bureau.