8. Name of Wetland: TABUSINTAC LAGOON AND RIVER ESTUARY, New Brunswick

1. Country: Canada

2. Effective Date of Information: The information provided is taken from text supplied at the time of proposal to the List of Wetlands of International Importance, January, 1993.

3. Reference: Canada - 31.

4. Name and Address of Compiler: Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0H3.

5. Date of Ramsar Designation: 10 June 1993.

6. Geographical Coordinates: 47ø20'N., 64ø56'W.

7. General Location: Situated in the southwestern Gulf of St. Lawrence, 50 km northeast of Chatham, New Brunswick.

8. Area: 4382 ha.

9. Wetland Type (Ramsar Classification System):

   Marine and Coastal Wetlands:

   Type 1- Marine waters - permanent shallow waters less than six metres deep at low tide, includes sea bays, straits.

   Type 2- Subtidal aquatic beds; includes kelp beds, sea-grasses, tropical marine meadows.

   Type 5- Sand, shingle or pebble beaches; includes sand bars, spits, sandy islets.

   Type 8- Intertidal marshes; includes salt marshes, salt meadows, saltings, raised salt marshes, tidal brackish and freshwater marshes.

   Type 10- Brackish to saline lagoons with one or more relatively narrow connections with the sea.

10. Altitude: most of coastline is less than 8 m from mean sea level.

11. Overview (Principle Characteristics): The area contains approximately 3800 ha of estuarine flats (3350 ha of which support Zostera), 200 ha of salt marsh, 90 ha of sand dunes and beaches, 10 ha of saline ponds and 2 ha of inshore islands. Approximately 295 ha of black spruce - jack pine forest is found on the Covedell Peninsula.

12. Physical Features (Geology, Geomorphology, Hydrology, Soils, Water, Climate): The system is mainly a shallow coastal estuary. One large river, the Tabusintac, empties into the bay and is the main source of fresh water. It is interesting to note that navigation through the bay is complicated by constantly shifting underwater sand bars, often blocking well used channels.The topography is characterized by gently sloping lands, and underlain with sedimentary rocks (red sandstone, shale, conglomerates and mudstones).

13. Ecological Features (Habitats, Vegetation): Tabusintac Bay is protected from the Gulf of St. Lawrence by the Tabusintac Beach barrier beach and dune system, a 15 km long system comprised of shoals, beaches, islands and dunes. The productivity of the system can be attributed to the extensive distribution of eel grass (Zostera marina) flats within the bay, consisting of over 80% of the total area. The adjacent Tabusintac Black Lands contain deep organic soils, making this site attractive for peat extraction.

14. Land Tenure:

    (a) Site: The site consists primarily of subtidal and intertidal flats. These areas are undeeded. The Tabusintac Black Lands are partly crown owned.

    (b) Surrounding Area: Some of the adjacent lands are crown owned, but are leased for peat mining.

15. Conservation Measures Taken: Hunting of migratory birds is currently permitted within Tabusintac Lagoon,however hunting is prohibited past 1:00 p.m. local time.

16. Conservation Measures Proposed: Part of the Black Lands (approximately 124 ha) are currently being considered for designation as an ecological reserve. The Tabusintac Estuary was closed to hunting in 1993. A Management Plan is in preparation which will outline recommendations for securing the entire barrier beach and additional habitat for the nearby Great Blue Heron colony and Osprey nesting site. That Plan, being developed under the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, will in addition to addressing the need to protect key habitats, promote stewardship among shoreline owners to secure these habitats through agreements with landowners. Special attention must be focused on actions to ensure the maintenance of the regionally important Common Tern colony and the endangered Piping Plover nesting on Tabusintac Bar.

17. Current Land Use/Activities in:

    (a) Site: The sand bars are highly used by clam diggers, picnickers, fishermen and all-terrain vehicles. Tabusintac Bay is a major coastal hunting area.

    (b) Surrounding Area: Part of the crown owned Black Lands is currently being mined for peat.

18. Threats to Integrity of:

    (a) Site: Erosion of the beach and dune system by storms and all-terrain vehicle traffic.

    (b) Surrounding Area: Peat mining is degrading the nearby blacklands peatland ecosystems.

19. Hydrological/Physical Values:

20. Social/Cultural Values: The lagoon is an important coastal fishing harbour and an important wetland for traditional activities such as hunting, clam digging and recreational use of the beach in summer months.

21. Noteworthy Fauna: Tabusintac Bay is particularly important as migration habitat for waterfowl flocks in excess of 1000 individuals, and in particular: scoters (Melanitta sp.), Common Eider (Somateria mollissima), Brant (Branta bernicla), American Black Duck (Anas rubripes), Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) and Oldsquaw (Clangula hyemalis). Freshwater ponds located in the Tabusintac Black Lands are used extensively by Canada Goose.

    The Tabusintac Beach system supports 3700 nesting Common Tern (Sterna hirundo), and is the second largest colony in New Brunswick. The tern colony figures prominently in the Atlantic Region, as it is also the second largest colony in the region. This site has been considered for designation as a tern core colony, a colony of importance due to its high rate of reproductive success. Approximately 10 pairs of Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), an endangered shorebird, also nest in the Tabusintac Beach system. This represents approximately 20% of the provincial nesting population. Other shorebirds are found in the Bay, but none of the species occur in great numbers.

    A large Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) colony exists in the Covedell Peninsula area. Ospreys (P andion haliaetus) nest in the uplands of the Tabusintac Black Lands (approximately 20 nests).

22. Noteworthy Flora:

23. Current Scientific Research and Facilities: Waterfowl use has been documented through aerial surveys conducted by the Canadian Wildlife Service and the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Energy. Coastal surveys for nesting terns and the endangered Piping Plover are conducted on a regular basis.

24. Current Conservation Education: A public education program has been developed through the Acadian Naturalists club (Le Club des naturalistes de la P‚ninsule Acadienne).

25. Current Recreation and Tourism: The site is relatively heavily used for a wide range of recreation from traditional summer beach uses to fishing, boating and waterfowl hunting.

26. Management Authority: Provincial Department of Natural Resources and Energy

27. Jurisdiction: Provincial and private

28. Selected Bibliography:
    • Canadian Wildlife Service Data Files - Canadian Wildlife Service, Sackville, New Brunswick.
    • Canadian Wildlife Service, Atlantic Region. 1991. Atlantic Region Management Plan for Marine Terns. Unpublished C.W.S. Internal Report. 27 pp.
    • Cartwright, D.J. 1983. Potential for managed waterfowl hunting in Gloucester County, N.B. Unpublished New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources and Energy Report. 25 pp.
    • Chiasson, R.D. 1992. Coastal rehabilitation project on the Acadian Peninsula of New Brunswick progress report, fall 1992. 11 pp.
    • Dionne, L.A., D.M. Farmer and C.M. Young. 1988. Critical Natural Areas in New Brunswick. Published by New Horizons Critical Natural Areas Committee. 313 pp.
    • Wein, R.W and D.M. Jones. 1975. Ecological Reserves in New Brunswick. University of New Brunswick. 230 pp.
    • Wetlands Atlas for New Brunswick and wetlands (computer) files at the Canadian Wildlife Service Atlantic Regional office, Sackville, New Brunswick.

29. Reasons for Ramsar Designation: The wetland provides important fall and spring migration habitat for waterfowl. The site is important regionally for supporting the second largest Common Tern colony in the Atlantic Region and 20% of the nesting pairs of Piping Plover in the New Brunswick. A Great Blue Heron colony and the highest density of nesting Osprey in the province are also located at this site.