Canada's bowhead sanctuary a step closer

A deal to create Canada's first sanctuary for bowhead whales has been signed between the Canadian government and Nunavut's land claim organisation after more than 25 years of talks and delays.

The agreement in principle, which outlines funding and management for 12 other wildlife and bird sanctuaries in the eastern Arctic, must now be ratified by Inuit groups and Parliament. The Treasury Board must also sign off on the financial commitments. While most of the areas affected are already protected, the deal marks the conclusion of negotiations on Isabella Bay, which people in the adjacent community of Clyde River have been trying to have protected since 1982. Isabella Bay will now be protected as Niginganiq National Wildlife Area. and is a bowhead haven.

This area is a bowhead haven as over a three month period the bay's waters are free of ice and upwelling currents teem with tiny marine animals on which the whales feast. Over 300 bowheads have been counted in Isabella Bay. The deal, known as the Inuit Impact and Benefits Agreement, was originally scheduled to be completed in 1998, before the creation of Nunavut. The final signing should take place within months.