Lead researchers: Pierre Legagneux and Gilles Gauthier, Université Laval; Philippe Thomas, Environnement Canada Several contaminants originating from industrial activity in the south are brought to northern regions by oceanic and atmospheric circulations and are incorporated into the food chain. In addition, many bird species that migrate to the Arctic in the summer bring up north some contaminants acquired in the south during the winter. Northerners that consume country food are therefore potentially exposed to contaminants present in these animals. In the North Baffin region, thousands of eggs are consumed annually by Inuit, especially from snow geese and thick-billed murres. Contrary to marine mammals, contaminants in bird eggs have received little attention in that region. During a recent consultation held in the community of Pond Inlet, the question of the presence of contaminants in bird eggs came out as an important issue to be studied for the community. In response to this concern, we are proposing a project aimed at measuring several contaminants in the eggs of bird species consumed by Pond Inlet residents. We are submitting a proposal to the Northern Contaminant Program to fund this project in partnership with the Mittimatalik HTO. The contaminants that we will measure are heavy metals (mercury) and Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), including old chemicals known as legacy POPs (such as organochlorines, PCB and DDT) and emerging ones (such as Perfluorinated compounds and Brominated flame-retardants). Because of their importance in the local diet, we are proposing to measure these contaminants in goose and murre eggs as well as in adult geese collected by local hunters. For snow geese, we will compare heavy metals and legacy POP concentrations in eggs and carcasses with studies conducted in the north Baffin region >30 years ago to document potential changes over time. For thick-billed murres, we will compare contaminant levels to those detected in other populations in the Canadian Arctic (Prince Leopold Island, Coats Island and Digges Island) where contaminants have been monitored over the last two decades. Collection of bird eggs and carcasses will be carried out by local hunters according to a sampling scheme that will be designed jointly with the Mittimatalik HTO and we will conduct the laboratory analyses. We will ensure that all information resulting from this project will be transferred to the community and we will discuss with them potential implications for their health. This project will provide baseline information to evaluate the relative risk of exposure to contaminants in birds consumed by northern residents. Note: This project was initiated at the request of the community and is conducted in partnership with the Mittimatalik Hunter and Trapper Organization. We are submitting this application because for this project, we need a scientific permit from the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) and every permit issued by CWS requires a screening by the Nunavut Planning Commission. For this project, researchers will NOT go in the field but will simply obtain from hunters a few goose and murre eggs and goose carcasses among those that they will have collected during their traditional hunting activities. Hunters will give these samples to us when they return to Pond Inlet and we will bring them south to analyse contaminants. We will not provide and instructions as to where and when to collect these samples as this will simply occur during normal, traditional activities of hunters around the community. This is why I indicated Pond Inlet as the sole location for the project as researchers' activities will only occur in the community.

Brian Koonoo, the hunter responsible for the collection of murre eggs in 2020 has requested our assistance in setting up a new roping system at the collect site on Cape Graham Moore because their ropes broke in 2019. This is an important safety issue for them and we would like to assist them by supplying them with some helicopter time to facilitate the transport of equipment and people (3 Inuit from the community of Pond Inlet). The transport is scheduled for 24 June. The helicopter will land on the ice at about 1 km from the bottom of the cliff (N72° 55' 48.3 W76° 03' 19.0). If the helicopter cannot fly due to the weather, it will be postponed to a later date. The helicopter WILL NOT be use to help set up the new roping system but only to transport the equipment and the people required for the job. The helicopter will shut down after landing and will wait until job completion before returning to Pond with the crew. No researchers will participate to this specific trip. For the whole project, researchers will NOT go in the field but will simply obtain from hunters 15 goose and murre eggs and 10 goose carcasses among those that they will have collected during their traditional hunting activities. Hunters will give these samples to us when they return to Pond Inlet and we will bring them south to analyse contaminants. We request this amendment only for 2020 as this is a punctual event for safety purposes.