nservationists that Canada Geese were in serious trouble. In July, the 
     
     tlantic Flyway Council met. The decisions at and subsequent to that meeting 
     
     led to the closure of Canada Geese hunting for an indefinite period in 12 
     
     U.S. states plus two Canadian Provinces, most of Ontario and Quebec except 
     
     for the Madelaine Islands, Gaspe, the north shore of the St. Lawrence, and 
     
     southeastern Ontario. 
     
    

    
     These findings will not impact the hunting of Canada Geese in the 
     
     Atlantic Provinces at this time. Studies of the Canada Geese that migrate 
     
     through Prince Edward Island (see below) indicate that this population of 
     
     Canada Geese nests in Newfoundland and Labrador and winters with other 
     
     Atlantic Flyway populations on the east coast from Nova Scotia to North 
     
     Carolina. In addition, some young are produced by Canada Geese nesting 
     
     locally in the Atlantic region. All of these birds are part of the Atlantic 
     
     Flyway Canada Geese (see the map below). 
     
    

    
     In the eastern population, nest 
     
     surveys suggest a stable population with 
     
     an index level of 7480 in 1993 and 6000 
     
     in 1994 compared to 7756 in 1980 
     
     (standard error 1,000). Surveys on 
     
     staging areas, tail surveys from hunter 
     
     returns, and index of harvest per hunter 
     
     effort support this finding. Calcu- 
     
     lations of survival from neck collar 
     
     surveys indicate 64% in 1990-91 and 67% 
     
     in 1992-93. While 70% is preferred in 
     
    

    
     .Ehe latter, the numbers suggest to 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     overnment biologists that the population 
     
     can withstand the current level of 
     
     harvest. 
     
    

    
     Cumulative data indicate that 
     
     approximately 50% of the harvest is in 
     
     the Atlantic Region and 50% is in the 
     
     United States. with hunting closed in a 
     
     portion of the migration and wintering 
     
     range, survival numbers should improve in 
     
     the next year. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     can“: Goon Nuvnl 
     
    
   
   
    
      MID NOVEMBER GOOSE SURVEYS 
     
     "3..."... ‘ P.E.I. 1969-199‘I- 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     no NUMBER OF GEESE: THOUSANDS 
     
    
   
   
    
     25  
     
     20 3 
     
     at r » y 
     
     ,5 . . 5 ., i , 
     
     , , ,V Z 3:. i 
     
     m .  , ,; 
     
     'z 
     
     5 . 
     
     ; r/ 
     
     o ;% 3 
     
     69717273751877787982873890929394 
     
     - ‘ YEAR 
     
    
   
   
    
     74757677787930B18233848680818839009192939‘ 
     
    
   
   
    
     . 
     
    
   
   
    
     60 
     
    
   
   
    
     4 
     
    
   
   
    
     U 
     
     0 
     
    
   
   
    
            
     
    
   
   
    
     - 
     
     O 
     
    
   
   
    
     Q 
     
    
   
   
    
      CANADA OESE