GOVERNMENT MOVES TO PROTECT HABITAT OF RARE SEABIRD

The federal government is moving

to protect the Atlantic nesting grounds of an endangered seabird. The surrounding waters and lands of four islands off Nova Scotia are now listed as protected habitat for the roseate tern. The migratory seabird is found on coasts and islands of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, with the North Atlantic considered an important breeding ground. The roseate tern has been listed under the Endangered Species Act since 2003, with destruction of habitat considered a leading culprit.