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Coastal Management |
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The Bay St. George/Port au Port Peninsula area has a diverse coastal and marine landscape that continues to shape the social, cultural and economic structure of the area. An area that first settled around coastal fisheries and agriculture continues to evolve with emerging interests in mining, oil and gas exploration, aquaculture and tourism. These industries provide an economic base for the area and are dependent on available coastal and marine resources. Communities also have a social connection to their coastal area for leisure and recreation, but also for cultural and historical reasons.
This coastal and marine area and its many estuaries provide important habitat for Atlantic cod, Atlantic salmon, herring, capelin, lobster, scallop and other marine species; as well as numerous species of waterfowl and shorebirds that migrate to this area each year to nest. A number of species at risk frequent this area including the banded killifish, the American eel and the endangered Piping plover, which are known to nest along the beaches of the Codroy estuary, Stephenville Crossing and Sandy Point. This coastal area is also known for its fertile landscape, rich mineral beds, and marine sub-basins that provide potential for oil and gas deposits. It is important to acknowledge the significance of all coastal and marine resources and the social, cultural and economic benefits they provide to the area. It is equally important to identify and address the potential impacts and cumulative effects various industries and other activities (increased shipping, storm surges, untreated wastewater, and aquatic invasive species) may have on one another, on resources, the environment and coastal communities. In recent years, we have become more aware of how climate change can impact our coastal infrastructure and communities. The Bay St. George and Port au Port Peninsula Marine and Coastal Resources Steering Committee is a sub-committee of the Long Range Regional Economic Development Board. The Steering committee is made up of a board of volunteers and advisory members including the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DFA) and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). The Steering committee’s primary focus is to create an environment that heightens the awareness of this important coastal area for all coastal users and provide opportunity for coastal users to inform each other on coastal issues and concerns. In doing so, the Steering committee has coordinated the collecting of local ecological knowledge and profiling of coastal industries, which is highlighted throughout this website. Click on the map below to view areas of importance along the coast, and their significant ecological features. 
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Coastal Management Related Links
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