Resources

Gulf of Maine Library Collection

Boudreau, P.R., D.C. Gordon, G.C. Harding, J.W. Loder, J. Black, W.D. Bowen, S. Campana, P.J. Cranford, K.F. Drinkwater, L. Van Eeckhaute, S. Gavaris, C.G. Hannah, G. Harrison, J.J. Hunt, J. McMillan, G.D. Melvin, T.G. Milligan, D.K. Muschenheim, J.D. Neilson, F.H. Page, D.S. Pezzack, G. Robert, D. Sameoto and H. Stone. 1999.

The Possible Environmental Impacts of Petroleum Exploration Activities on the Georges Bank Ecosystem. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2259.

Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Regional Advisory Process (RAP) was carried out to generate a peer-reviewed summary of the Georges Bank ecosystem and potential impacts from petroleum exploratory activities. The process included input from Canadian and USA government scientists, external reviewers and representatives from fishers groups and the petroleum industry. The review resulted in seven conclusions, four of which are: (1) Georges Bank is an important offshore bank that has a number of features, which, in combination with its size, make it unique; (2) Routine exploratory seismic activity might have a significant but temporary impact on adult fish behavior and movement. This might affect fish catch rates and spawning behavior; (3) There is a low probability of a large release of petroleum product from a well blowout. If this were to occur, it might have population and ecosystem level impacts; and (4) Production activities were not reviewed but the impacts are expected to be different, both in scale and in nature, from those considered for exploratory activities. A review of specific production proposals is needed before any assessment of these can be carried out. This resource is the research document that provides the scientific information and references to support all conclusions, including those not listed here.

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