Common eider harvest: voluntary reduction in take

Following an unusual episode of mortality caused by avian influenza this spring, the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) anticipates a decline in the number of common eiders in the St. Lawrence Estuary in 2023 and beyond.

In order not to further jeopardize the situation of the species, the CWS is calling on the cooperation of hunters to:

Status of Common Eider populations in Quebec

For about 20 years, the population of Common Eiders nesting in colonies in the St. Lawrence Estuary has been stable. One of the reasons the population is not increasing is that recruitment (percentage of young in the population) is probably just sufficient to replace adult mortality (from natural causes and hunting).

In the spring of 2022, an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) struck at some of the largest eider colonies in the estuary, and a non-exhaustive count of carcasses recovered allowed CWS to estimate that between 5 and 15% of nesting females died. Many nests were abandoned by the females, and very few crèches (groupings of adult females with their broods) were observed in the estuary. As a result, CWS biologists expect the number of young birds for 2022 to be particularly low and the population to be lower in the coming years.

At this time, CWS is not considering any changes to the migratory bird hunting regulations to reduce the impact of the harvest on the Common Eider population in Quebec. CWS believes that awareness and cooperation of Quebec hunters may be sufficient to mitigate the risk of an excessive decline in this population.

Common Eider populations also nest in the Maritimes and New England, and the trend in these populations is downward. To allow these populations to recover, the bag limit has already been reduced in these regions. The bag limit is 2 or 3 eiders, respectively, of which no more than one is a hen.

Return of bands

We remind you that it is important to report any band found on a migratory bird by entering its number on reportband.gov. Recovered banding data is essential for many conservation projects, as well as for setting hunting daily harvest limits.

Harvest and Avian Influenza

Finally, CWS recommends that hunters consult the Recommendations for Hunters of Wild Birds and Other Sensitive Wildlife before handling and consuming wild birds.

Wild birds found sick or dead in Quebec can be reported by calling 1 877 346-6763.

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