HALIFAX — An ambitious plan in Nova Scotia to build North America's first coastal refuge for captive whales has reached a critical phase involving environmental testing — and one of the findings is concerning.
The U.S.-based group behind the Whale Sanctuary Project confirmed Wednesday it had received results from a key environmental assessment of the site near Port Hilford, N.S., where the plan is to build a 40-hectare enclosure for orcas and belugas retired from marine parks
"We have completed almost two and a half years of studies along this line," executive director Charles Vinick said in an interview Wednesday.
The testing focused on the impact of potentially toxic heavy metals left behind by gold mining that ended long ago. The concern was that the whales could be harmed by eating clams, mussels and rock crabs contaminated by arsenic and mercury in the submerged soil.
"We understood when we selected Port Hilford Bay as our location-of-choice for a whale sanctuary … that there were remnants of gold mine tailings on the 30 acres of sanctuary lands," the group said in a statement.
"This meant we needed to study soil and water samples to see what mitigation measures might be necessary regarding heavy metals — specifically mercury and arsenic — that are routinely found in those tailings."
The testing revealed that arsenic levels in the bay's rock crabs were above Nova Scotia's guidelines for human consumption.
"With the rock crabs we have to investigate further," Vinick said from his home in Santa Barbara, Calif. "If they were consumed, would that be a problem for a marine mammal? There are no standards for whales. We're investigating with the best scientists we can find."
Vinick said his group is talking to toxicologists to determine whether there is any risk that the whales could ingest a level of arsenic that could be harmful.
Some studies, he said, have examined whales in the Arctic, where Indigenous people have been affected by eating whale meat contaminated by minerals like mercury and arsenic, which can occur naturally in the environment. Some of those studies have suggested the whales were not harmed by these contaminants.
"We have to dig further into this data and understand it better," Vinick said. "We have to be sure that we do not put any whales at risk."
As for the mussels in the area, they were deemed acceptable for human consumption. No clams were spotted in the bay, which is on Nova Scotia's rugged eastern shore, about 200 kilometres east of Halifax.
Previous studies of the bay were also encouraging. Laboratory analyses of the water detected no traces of any heavy metals or other contamination.
On the land, there were no concerning levels of mercury, but arsenic was found in an area around an old stamp mill that used machines to crush rock pulled from nearby mine shafts. As a result, any soil that might be disturbed by construction will be capped with a layer of soil, gravel or pavement, the group said.
"This is pretty good news all around," Vinick said. "We have not found any mercury above the levels that are concerning to the authorities."
The project, announced in February 2020, calls for construction of an enclosure that would include a ring of floating nets extending from the land. It would be as large as 50 football fields and about 300 times larger than the biggest captive whale tanks.
Organizers originally predicted the site would be ready to receive whales in 2022. But the COVID-19 pandemic, regulatory hurdles and environmental concerns slowed the project's progress.
Last year, Vinick said the refuge probably wouldn't open until sometime in 2024.
The $20-million project is relying on private donations. Another $2 million would be needed annually for operations.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2023.
Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press
HALIFAX - Mpango mkubwa wa Nova Scotia wa kujenga hifadhi ya pwani ya kwanza ya Amerika Kaskazini kwa nyangumi waliofungwa umefikia hatua muhimu inayohusisha upimaji wa mazingira na moja ya matokeo ni ya wasiwasi. "Kundi la Marekani lililo nyuma ya mradi wa Whale Sanctuary Project limethibitisha Jumatano kuwa limepokea matokeo ya tathmini muhimu ya mazingira ya eneo karibu na Port Hilford, New Jersey, ambapo mpango ni kujenga eneo la hekta 40 kwa ajili ya orcas na belugas waliostaafu kutoka mbuga za baharini, ""Tumekamilisha karibu miaka miwili na nusu ya masomo kwenye mstari huu,"" mkurugenzi mtendaji Charles Vinick alisema katika mahojiano Jumatano." Uchunguzi huo ulikazia athari za metali nzito zenye sumu ambazo ziliachwa na uchimbaji wa dhahabu uliomalizika muda mrefu uliopita. Wanasayansi wana wasiwasi kwamba nyangumi hao wanaweza kuathiriwa na kula makapi, samaki aina ya mussel na mbawakawa wa mwamba ambao wamechafuliwa na arseniki na zebaki katika udongo ulio chini ya maji. "Tulielewa wakati tulichagua Ghuba ya Port Hilford kama eneo letu la kuchagua kwa hifadhi ya nyangumi kwamba kulikuwa na mabaki ya madini ya dhahabu kwenye ekari 30 za ardhi ya hifadhi, ""kiliandika kikundi hicho katika taarifa." "Hii ilimaanisha tulihitaji kusoma sampuli za udongo na maji ili kuona ni hatua gani za kupunguza zinaweza kuwa muhimu kuhusu metali nzito - haswa zebaki na arseniki - ambazo hupatikana kwa kawaida katika taka hizo. " Uchunguzi huo ulifunua kwamba viwango vya arseniki katika kamba wa mwamba wa ghuba hiyo vilikuwa juu ya miongozo ya Nova Scotia kwa ajili ya matumizi ya kibinadamu. "Kuhusu kamba za mwamba, tunapaswa kuchunguza zaidi, ""Vinick alisema kutoka nyumbani kwake huko Santa Barbara, California. ""Ikiwa wangekula, je, hilo lingekuwa tatizo kwa mamalia wa baharini? """ Hakuna viwango kwa ajili ya nyangumi. Tunachunguza pamoja na wanasayansi bora zaidi tunaoweza kupata". "Vinick alisema kikundi chake kinazungumza na wataalamu wa sumu ili kuamua kama kuna hatari yoyote kwamba nyangumi wanaweza kula kiwango cha arseniki ambacho kinaweza kuwa na madhara.""" "Amesema: ""Mafunzo fulani yamechunguza nyangumi katika eneo la Arctic, ambapo watu wa asili wameathiriwa na kula nyama ya nyangumi iliyochafuliwa na madini kama vile mercury na arsenic, ambayo yanaweza kutokea kwa asili katika mazingira." Baadhi ya uchunguzi huo umeonyesha kwamba nyangumi hao hawakuathiriwa na uchafuzi huo. "Lazima tuchunguze zaidi data hii na kuielewa vizuri zaidi", Vinick alisema. "Lazima tuwe na uhakika kwamba hatutoi nyangumi yeyote hatarini". Kuhusu mianzi iliyokuwa katika eneo hilo, ilionwa kuwa yenye kufaa kwa ajili ya matumizi ya kibinadamu. Hakuna samaki walioonekana katika ghuba hiyo, ambayo iko kwenye pwani ya mashariki ya Nova Scotia, karibu kilomita 200 mashariki mwa Halifax. Uchunguzi wa awali wa ghuba hiyo pia ulikuwa wenye kutia moyo. Uchunguzi wa maabara wa maji haukugundua alama zozote za metali nzito au uchafuzi mwingine wowote. Katika eneo hilo, hakuna kiwango cha arseniki kilichopatikana karibu na kiwanda cha zamani cha kusaga stempu ambacho kilitumia mashine za kusaga mawe yaliyotokana na migodi ya karibu. Kwa sababu hiyo, udongo wowote ambao unaweza kuharibiwa na ujenzi utafunikwa na safu ya udongo, mchanga au barabara, kikundi hicho kilisema. "Hii ni habari nzuri sana", Vinick akasema. "Hatukupata zebaki yoyote juu ya viwango vinavyohusisha mamlaka". Mradi huo, uliotangazwa Februari 2020, unahitaji ujenzi wa uzio ambao utajumuisha pete ya wavu unaoteleza unaoenea kutoka nchi kavu. Inaweza kuwa kubwa kama uwanja wa mpira wa miguu 50 na mara 300 zaidi ya tank kubwa zaidi ya nyangumi. Wanasayansi wanasema kuwa eneo hilo litakuwa tayari kwa ajili ya kuwinda nyangumi mwaka 2022. Lakini janga la COVID-19, vikwazo vya udhibiti na wasiwasi wa mazingira ulipunguza maendeleo ya mradi huo. Mwaka jana, Vinick alisema makazi hayo hayatafunguliwa hadi mwaka 2024. Mradi huo wa dola milioni 20 unategemea michango ya kibinafsi. Milioni mbili zaidi zinahitajika kila mwaka kwa ajili ya shughuli. Ripoti hii ya The Canadian Press ilichapishwa kwa mara ya kwanza Desemba 6, 2023. Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press (Makampuni ya Habari ya Kanada)