Proceedings 2018/002

Proceedings of the Regional Science Peer Review of Design Guidance for a Network of Marine Protected Areas in the Scotian Shelf Bioregion (Part 1); July 6-7, 2016

Chairpersons: Tana Worcester and Tanya Koropatnick
Editor: Tana Worcester

Summary

A Regional Science Peer Review meeting was held on July 6-7, 2016, at the Delta-Barrington Hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to review design guidance for a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Scotian Shelf Bioregion. This was the first of a 2-part process to provide science advice on proposed design strategies and associated targets for protecting conservation priorities, addressing strategic and operational objectives, and guiding MPA network design in the region. Specifically, for each conservation priority, design strategies must be developed that specify the types of areas or features to be conserved (e.g., significant concentrations, feeding aggregations, nursery areas), and the relative targets for each area type.  The focus of this meeting was to review the proposed general approach along with preliminary design strategies, and to consider the effects of these design strategies using exploratory Marxan outputs. A work plan and Terms of Reference for Part 2 were also developed. Participation in this meeting included Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Parks Canada, non-DFO scientists, First Nations and Aboriginal organizations, industry representatives, provincial government departments, and environmental non-government organizations.

The proposed general approach started with a fixed baseline target to capture 10% of each conservation priority in the network. This baseline target was then modified for each conservation priority based on a derived conservation value. This value was determined by scoring each conservation priority using a series of factors such as size, uniqueness/rarity, vulnerability, and population status. While participants generally supported the proposed approach, several important gaps were identified, including the need to incorporate Aboriginal and Traditional Ecological Knowledge into the process, and the need to expand or adjust the approach to develop design strategies for coastal conservation priorities. Additional elements were also suggested for consideration, such as the possibility of increasing weighting for functional importance, enduring features, naturalness, intactness, and resilience, and the need to incorporate considerations of connectivity, including size and spacing of selected areas, into the overall network design.

A Research Document and Science Advisory Report will be produced during Part 2 of this process. This Proceedings document is the record of the first meeting’s discussions and conclusions.

Complete document (PDF, 375 KB)

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