Science Response 2012/007

Labrador – Island Transmission Link Project – Review of Species of Special Conservation Concern Component Study for the Environmental Assessment

Context

Nalcor Energy is proposing to develop the Labrador – Island Transmission Link Project as part of the larger project of establishing a High Voltage Direct Current transmission system extending from Central Labrador to the Island of Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula. In preparation for, and support of the Project, Nalcor Energy has submitted to Marine Habitat Protection Section of Fisheries and Oceans Canada in Newfoundland and Labrador a series of component studies. In November 2011, the report entitled "Species of Special Conservation Concern Component Study" was submitted and the purpose of the report is to present a summary of species of special concern for use in the EA and on-going Project planning.

The Marine Habitat Protection Section (NL Region) sent a request to Science Branch on November 7, 2011 for a review of the component study and a response was requested by December 30, 2011. As the Quebec Region is responsible for the management of some of these species in the area covered by the project, regional DFO Science Branch at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute (IML) were requested to review the species at risk for which Quebec region has information to validate whether the information contained in the component study is accurate. An SSRP was used due to the short deadline for advice.

Several common points were made during the review of this report: additional and recent information exists that was not contained in the report, there were some cases where information requires correction. It was suggested that for some species a link to other component studies would have benefited this process. Several species identified as threatened or of special concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada and several SARA-listed species (occurring or potentially occurring in the Belle Isle) are not listed in this component study.

This Science Response report is from the Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, Regional Science Special Response Process (SSRP) of November 25 to December 30, 2011, Review of the Species of Special Conservation Concern Component Study for the Environmental Assessment report.

Complete document (PDF, 47 KB)

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