amount of time each day that rafting was permitted; 2) reducing the number of allowed launch 

 times each day; and 3) reducing the length of the river use season (Hunt 1993). 



On the Bow River in Banff National Park, reaction to canoes by Harlequins was 

 considerably less (Smith 1996). In 158 encounters, 62.6% of ducks had no reaction, 16.5% 

 swam away, 1 1.4% flew away, and 9.5% hid (Smith 1996). The considerable difference in 

 reactions between ducks on the Bow and Maligne Rivers is probably due to the fact that the Bow 

 is substantially wider and splits in channels in numerous locations (Smith 1 996). 



Cassirer and Groves (1991) reported that nesting appeared to occur on stream reaches 

 above those used by rafts on the two regularly boated Harlequin Duck streams in Idaho. Heavy 

 Whitewater rafting is believed to have caused the extirpation of Harlequins on the Methow River 

 in Washington (Brady pers. comm. in Clarkson 1994). 



Noise. No data available. 



Collecting and trapping. Collecting permits have been issued in Montana (1), 

 Washington, and Alaska. In Washington, a permit for 1 5 was issued as recently as 1 992 and 

 permits for up to 50 had been issued in previous years (Schirato 1993). There is a market for 

 Harlequins in the avicultural trade, with pairs valued at $2,000 or more (C. Pilling, aviculturalist, 

 pers. comm., in Harlequin Duck Working Group 1993). 



In Iceland, egg collecting was extensively carried out in some areas through the mid- 

 1960s, both for consumption and for breeding purposes; egg collecting is now prohibited 

 (Bengtson 1972). 



Capture of 465 Harlequin Ducks in British Columbia coastal waters resulted in 5 

 mortalities, 3 by drowning and two by heat prostration (Clarkson and Goudie 1994). In 

 Montana, the mist-netting of over 250 Harlequins on breeding streams has resulted in 1 duckling 

 death and in 1 adult leg injury. 



Shooting. Hunting was the likely cause of the decline of the eastern North American 

 Harlequin Duck population (Philips 1925, Palmer 1949). This was likely due to the fact that they 

 are less wary than other sea ducks while on the coast (Philips 1925, Palmer 1976) and the fact 

 that they forage in shallow water close to shore. 



In Alaska, Harlequins are harvested by both recreational and subsistence hunters (Rothe 

 1994). The extent of hunting in the Pacific North American population appears to be low, with 

 tlie exception of a few local areas in Alaska. No band returns from hunting have been reported 

 out of more than 249 birds banded on breeding areas of Montana; however, a banded bird was 

 found to have holes in the webbing of the foot apparently caused by pellets from a shotgun 

 (Reichel and Center 1994). 



Fishing. Harlequins have been found entangled in fishing line in Glacier National Park 

 on McDonald Creek (Ashley 1994) and in Jasper National Park on Maligne Lake (Clarkson 

 1992). A Harlequin has also been found with a fish hook lodged in its throat (Cassirer, pers. 

 comm. in Clarkson 1992). 



Pesticides and other contaminants/toxics. Thousands of Harlequins were killed or 

 injured as a result of the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 24 March 1989 (Patten 1993 in Clarkson 

 1994). Later, productivity in western Prince William Sound, where oil remained, was nearly 

 zero during 1989-1993; reproduction, however, was substantial in portions of eastern Prince 

 William Sound which were not directly affected by the oil spill (Patten 1994). Petrochemicals 

 were found in the proventriculus, liver and bile in Harlequins in western Prince William Sound 

 and southwestem Kodiak Island; these were probably introduced via feeding on blue mussels 

 {Mytilus adulis), an important food of Harlequins (Patten 1994). A relatively small oil spill in 



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