Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area

Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area
Rissa tridactyla nesting/flying at Coburg Island in Jones Sound. One Uria lomvia on cliff top (see annotation).
Map showing the location of Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area
Map showing the location of Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area
Nirjutiqavvik
Location of Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area
Map showing the location of Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area
Map showing the location of Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area
Nirjutiqavvik
Nirjutiqavvik (Canada)
LocationCoburg Island, Qikiqtaaluk, Nunavut, Canada
Nearest cityGrise Fiord
Coordinates75°55′12″N 79°15′00″W / 75.92000°N 79.25000°W / 75.92000; -79.25000[1]
Area1,650 km2 (640 sq mi)
Established1995

Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area is a National Wildlife Area on Coburg Island within the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is located in Baffin Bay's Lady Ann Strait between Ellesmere Island, to the north, and Devon Island to the south. The NWA includes Coburg Island and its surrounding marine area.

Established in 1995, it is 1,650 km2 (640 sq mi) in area. Of this, a total of 1,283 km2 (495 sq mi) make up a marine area with marine and intertidal components.[2]

The NWA is one of the most important seabird nesting areas in the Canadian Arctic for black guillemot, black-legged kittiwake, northern fulmar, and thick-billed murre. It is also an important area for polar bears, walruses, ringed, and bearded seals. Narwhal and beluga whales migrate through the area.[3]

The Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area is home to many seabird species and marine animals, providing essential nutrients to nearby Indigenous communities. The wildlife area is managed by Inuit from Grise Fiord, a nearby community, along with other governmental entities. If business as usual continues, climate change and human activity will cause severe damage to the Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area.[4]

  1. ^ "Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  2. ^ "Nirjutiqavvik (Coburg Island) National Wildlife Area". mpaglobal.org. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2009.
  3. ^ "Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area". New Parks North. 16. Government of Canada Environment Canada Canadian Wildlife Service. March 2001.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).