Port of Churchill expansion could chase belugas away, U of M researcher says
As plans to expand the Port of Churchill into a four-season trade corridor gathers momentum, a University of Manitoba researcher has published a report on what ship traffic could mean […]
A University of Manitoba researcher warns that the expansion of the Port of Churchill into a four-season trade corridor may disrupt the habitat of beluga whales, prompting a U of M researcher's publication on the potential impact of increased ship traffic on the whales that gather in the Churchill River estuary each summer. Veronica Coppolaro explained that more vessels in the waterways pose a risk to belugas stopping their migration, which would impact the ecological landscape, tourism, and communities relying on the animals for food and cultural purposes.
Belugas have sensitive hearing and use echolocation for food and communication, so noise from ships could force them to change their habitat. The researcher began tracking beluga whale activity using passive acoustic monitoring, finding high activity areas that overlap with Port of Churchill operations. The data will help compare future activity when ships are consistently passing through the region.
The estimated population of belugas in the Churchill River is hard to determine, but hundreds could be swimming in the area during summer migration, making it a popular tourist destination. Still, the provincial and federal governments have taken the marine habitat into consideration, announcing a $250,000 study on a new national marine conservation area in western Hudson Bay as they move forward with the port's expansion.
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