WC129 MarApr2023 - Flipbook - Page 7
Toxic TP and forever
chemicals in whales
According to a recent study, chemicals
used in toilet paper production and ‘forever
chemicals’ have been found in tissues
of west coast whales. The Institute for
the Ocean and Fisheries at UBC, British
Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Food,
and Fisheries and Oceans Canada scientists
analyzed tissue samples from six southern
resident killer whales and six Bigg’s whales
stranded along the coast of B.C. from
2006 to 2018, where they found chemical
pollutants, with 4-nonylphenol (4NP) found
in toilet paper one of the most prevalent in
the samples studied, accounting for 46 per
cent of the total pollutants identified.
“This research is a wake-up call. Southern residents are an endangered population
and it could be that contaminants are contributing to their population decline. We can’t
wait to protect this species,” said co-author
Dr. Juan José Alava, principal investigator of
the ocean pollution research unit at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries.
MANITOBA DESIGNATES
PROVINCIALLY SIGNIFICANT PEATLANDS
THE GOVERNMENT OF MANITOBA has
designated Moswa Meadows and Fish
Lake Fen as Provincially Significant
Peatlands—the first of their kind in
the province. Home to 17 per cent of
Canadian peatlands, Manitoba’s landmass
is covered by over one-third of these
ecologically valuable areas.
Designation of these Provincially
Significant Peatlands builds on the
Manitoba Government’s Peatlands
Stewardship Act, regulations previously
developed for the sustainable management
of peatlands. According to Kevin Smith,
national manager of boreal programs for
Ducks Unlimited Canada, this addition
is an excellent next step. “Peatlands
are a critical asset in our global efforts
to mitigate climate impacts, to halt
and reverse biodiversity loss, and to
retain valuable ecosystem services. This
designation ensures these peatland areas
are protected and represents significant
progress in the ongoing efforts to protect
and conserve these valuable landscapes,”
said Smith.
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