Digging bait worms
reduces birds' food
Commercial bloodworm harvesting in
Canada's Bay of Fundy destroys other creatures that a huge population
of migrating sandpipers needs for food.
References:
Shepherd, P.C.F.,
and J.S. Boates. 1999. Effects of a commercial baitworm harvest on semipalmated
sandpipers and their prey in the Bay of Fundy hemispheric shorebird
reserve. Conservation Biology 13(April):347.
Further Readings:
Milius, S. 1998. Obese birds make good athletes. Science News
153(Jan. 10):28.
A discussion of Bay of Fundy sandpipers and pictures of an extraordinary
fall gathering of sandpipers can be found at http://www.ns.ec.gc.ca/wildlife/sandpiper/index.html.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Office of Migratory Bird Management
Web site can be found at http://www.fws.gov/r9mbmo/homepg.html.
Sources:
Sherman Boates
Acadia University
Biology Department
Wolfville, Nova Scotia B0P 1XO
Canada
Peter Hicklin
Canadian Wildlife Service
P.O. Box 6227
Sackville, New Brunswick E4L 1G6
Canada
Arthur Purchase
Kings County Bait Fishermen's Association
27 Academy Street
Kentville, Nova Scotia B4N 1S3
Canada
Philippa C.F. Shepherd
Simon Fraser University
Department of Biological Sciences
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6
Canada
From Science
News, Vol. 155, No. 16, April 17,
1999, p. 246. Copyright © 1999, Science Service.
