Akpait National Wildlife Area
Location: Located off the east coast of Baffin Island on the northeastern tip of the Cumberland Peninsula, in Nunavut
Approximate Area: 74313 hectares
Date of Designation: 1980
Conservation Objectives
To protect key land and marine habitats for seabird colonies.
Prohibitions
Access to Akpait by anyone other than Inuit enrolled under the Nunavut Agreement is restricted, and any non-Nunavut Inuit must obtain a permit to enter the area.
Why (environmental context for protection)
Akpait is home to some of the largest seabird colonies in Canada, including 130,000 pairs of thick-billed murres. It contains eight per cent of the Canadian breeding population of thick-billed murres and nine per cent of the Canadian breeding population of northern fulmars. The land portion of Akpait is comprised of huge rocky cliffs, reaching 915 meters high, which provide essential nesting habitats for seabirds. Akpait is the Inuktitut word for “murres.” The area continues to be important for Inuit subsistence today.