Science Response 2017/018

Assessment of risk of shrimp fishing to conservation objectives of the Narwhal Overwintering and Coldwater Coral Zone

Context

Canada has agreed to a suite of international biodiversity conservation goals and targets (the Convention on Biological Diversity 2011–2020 Strategic Plan for Biodiversity’s Aichi Targets) and adopted complementary domestic biodiversity goals and targets. Both international and domestic targets call for the conservation of 10 % of coastal and marine areas by 2020 (Canada’s Target 1 and Aichi Target 11). In addition, Canada has committed to increasing the proportion of Canada’s marine and coastal areas that are protected to 5 % by 2017.

To achieve the 2017 target, "other effective area-based conservation measures" that are not protected areas, but still contribute to the objectives of the targets are being considered. These include fisheries closure areas to achieve one or more objectives (e.g., conservation) and that demonstrate or infer biodiversity conservation benefit(s) (DFO 2016).

The Narwhal Overwintering and Coldwater Coral Zone is currently closed to the Greenland Halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) fishery, but the Northern Shrimp (Pandalus borealis) fishery operates within the closure area. The conservation objectives for the closure area, identified in the Subarea 0 Greenland Halibut Integrated Fishery Management Plan, is to minimize impacts on the winter food source and overwintering habitat for Narwhal (Monodon monoceros), and conserve coldwater coral concentrations.

DFO Fisheries Management has requested advice from DFO Science on the levels of risk from shrimp fishing to narwhal overwintering habitat, narwhal food sources and coldwater coral within the existing Narwhal Overwintering and Coldwater Coral Zone.

This Science Response resulted from the Science Response Process of March 2017 on the Assessment of risk from shrimp fishing to the conservation objectives of the Narwhal Overwintering and Coldwater Coral Zone.

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