The role of the Bay of Fundy in the aggregation of coastal migrant fishes and the continuing threat of tidal power development

The inner Bay of Fundy is a mega-tidal marine environment that acts as a terminus for coastal migrant fishes. Aggregations composed of local and distant stocks from Florida to Labrador have feeding and spawning migrations through the Bay from April to December.  Studies indicate that millions of American shad, Atlantic herring, alewife, blueback herring and dogfish shark and thousands of Atlantic sturgeon and striped bass occur in the Bay during summer. Large tides (up to 16m range) and resulting high tidal currents (3-6m/s), however, continue to attract schemes for tidal power development.  During the 1975-1985 energy crisis plans were to dam the basins of the inner Bay and install low-head turbines that are known to cause fish mortality. One 20MW turbine installed at Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia has been generating power and killing fish since 1985.  Plans for these large-scale projects never materialized.  During the latest energy crisis plans are to install large numbers of free-standing, tidal turbines.  One turbine was installed in Minas Passage in 2009 and two more will be installed during 2011.  Plans include deployment of 200+ turbines.  The hydraulic characteristics of these new turbines indicate they may cause fish mortality and could threaten trans-boundary fish stocks.