Akpait National Wildlife Area
Akpait National Wildlife Area (NWA) is located off the east coast of Baffin Island on the northeastern tip of the Cumberland Peninsula, in Nunavut. Totalling 792 km2, the NWA protects key terrestrial and marine habitat for colonial seabirds and marine mammals.
Description
Akpait NWA was designated in 2010 to protect some of the largest seabird colonies in Canada, including an estimated 130,000 pairs of thick-billed murres. Akpait is the Inuktitut work for “murres”. The terrestrial portion of the NWA comprises a raised mass of land with cliffs reaching 915 meter high that overlooks Akpait Fiord, often referred to as “The Minarets”. The marine waters within the NWA boundaries provide essential feeding grounds for nesting colonial seabirds and for a variety of marine mammals during their migration. Qikiqtarjuaq (formerly know as Broughton Island), is the closest Inuit community situated approximately 130 km northwest of the NWA.
Other interesting facts about Akpait NWA:
- previously known as Reid Bay, also includes a large portion of the Reid Bay Important Bird Area
- together with Qaqulluit NWA forms one of the most important seabird area in the eastern Canadian Arctic
- is one of two locations in the Canadian Arctic, besides at Prince Leopold Migratory Bird Sanctuary, where murres, fulmars (15,000 pairs) and kittiwakes (1,900 pairs) nest intermingled
- marine mammals found within the NWA include polar bears, walruses and various types of seals
- Akpait continues to be an important traditional use area for Inuit for subsistence
Find more information on Akpait NWA in the summary table below.
Management
Under the Canada Wildlife Act NWAs are protected and managed in accordance with the Wildlife Area Regulations. The primary purpose of NWAs is to protect and conserve wildlife and wildlife habitat. For this purpose and according to the legislation, all activities in a NWA that could interfere with the conservation of wildlife can be prohibited. Consequently, most NWAs are not accessible to the public and all other activities are prohibited in all NWAs. However, some activities may be authorized through Schedule I.1 of the Wildlife Area Regulations or the issuance of permits as long as they are consistent with the management plan goals for the NWA. For more information, consult the NWA Management and Activities section.
Akpait is managed by the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Inuit from Qikiqtarjuaq, NU as part of a co-management agreement established through the Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement for National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries in the Nunavut Settlement Area (IIBA). The Sululiit Area Co-Management Committee (ACMC) was formed through the IIBA and advice on all aspects of NWA management and all significant policy decisions affecting the NWA, including Inuit use of the NWA, permit applications, research conducted within the NWA, visitor use of the area, and management and protection of wildlife and wildlife habitat.
In Nunavut, Nunavut Inuit, as per the Nunavut Agreement (NA), can hunt wildlife, including the collection of migratory bird eggs and feathers for their economic, social and cultural needs (Section 5 of the NA). Access to Akpait NWA by anyone other than Inuit enrolled under the NA is restricted; therefore, any non-Nunavut Inuit must obtain a permit to access or conduct any activity within the Akpait NWA. Activities that may be permitted will be in accordance with the conservation objectives of the NWA management plan (currently in development).
More information on access and permitting for Akpait NWA can be obtained by contacting the Environment and Climate Change Canada regional office.
Map of the area
Long description
This map shows an area of Baffin Island and the Davis Strait in Nunavut. The boundaries of the Akpait National Wildlife Area are indicated. The NWA covers a portion of the northeastern edge of the Cumberland Peninsula on Baffin Island and extends out into the Davis Strait. The scale on the map is in kilometers. Permanent water is indicated. A small inset national map situates the NWA’s location in Canada.
This map is for illustrative purposes only and should not be used to define legal boundaries.
Summary
Protected Area designation
National Wildlife Area
Province/territory
Nunavut
Latitude/longitude
66°56' North / 61°46' West
Size
Total: 79,200 ha:
- Marine: 74,400 ha
- Terrestrial: 4,800 ha
Reason for creation of protected area
Contains at least:
- 8% of Canadian breeding population of Thick-billed Murres
- 9% of Canadian breeding population of Northern Fulmars
- 1% of Canadian population of Black-legged Kittiwakes
Date created (Gazetted)
2010 - Legal description
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Management Category
Wilderness Area (Ib)
Additional designations
- International Biological Programme Site (Region 7, Site 7-9)
- Reid Bay Important Bird Area (IBA - NU072)
- Akpait (Reid Bay) Key Marine Habitat Site (NU Site 21) and Key Terrestrial Habitat Site (NU Site 28)
Keystone or flagship species
Thick-billed murre
Listed Species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA)
Polar bear
Main habitat types
- Mostly marine
- Land portion comprised of steep rock pinnacles and ridges bordered by a high talus slope and beach
Invasive species
None
Other species
Other birds:
- glaucous gull
- black guillemot
- Atlantic puffin
- rock ptarmigan
- common eider
Terrestrial mammals:
- Arctic fox
- Artic hare
Marine mammals:
- ringed seal
- harp seal
- bearded seal
- Atlantic walrus
- bowhead whale
- narwhal
- beluga
Management Considerations
An increase of:
- Commercial fisheries
- Other protected area initiatives
- Military activity
- Mineral/hydrocarbon exploration
- Research
- Tourism
- Shipping/marine transport
- Climate change
Management Agency
Environment and Climate Change Canada (Canadian Wildlife Service)
Public access and usage
Nunavut Inuit have a free and unrestricted right of access for the purpose of harvesting to all lands, waters, and marine areas within the NWA, as per Article 5 of the IIBA and subject to s.5.7.18 of the Nunavut Agreement.
For all non-Nunavut Inuit, a permit must be obtained to access or conduct any type of activity in the NWA.
Note: If there is a discrepancy between the information presented on this web page, any notice posted at the NWA site and the law, the law prevails, as it is the legal instrument authorizing the activity.
Contact us
Environment and Climate Change Canada - Northern Region
Canadian Wildlife Service
Protected Areas and Stewardship
Eastern Arctic Unit
301-933 Mivvik Street
Iqaluit, NU X0A 3H0
Toll-free: 1-800-668-6767 (in Canada only)
Email: enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca
Related links
- Protected areas permits
- Canada Wildlife Act
- Wildlife Area Regulations
- Akpait NWA pamphlet
- Reid Bay Important Bird Area
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- Nature Counts – The State of Canada’s Birds
- Species at risk public registry
- Akpait NWA on Google Maps (Please note that the Google map is a complementary source of information and does not represent the official map or site name)