Science Response 2020/015

DFO Maritimes Region Review of Proposed Marine Finfish Aquaculture Boundary Amendment, Rattling Beach, Digby County, Nova Scotia

Context

Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd. has made an application to the Province of Nova Scotia to expand the boundaries at their existing site (#1039) near Rattling Beach, Digby County, Nova Scotia.  As per the Canada-Nova Scotia Memorandum of Understanding on Aquaculture Development, the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture has forwarded this application to DFO for review and advice in relation to DFO's legislative mandate. DFO Science was asked to provide a review of the expected zone of influences of the expanded site, information on the species and habitat presence and use within the zone of influences, as well as possible benthic impacts to inform DFO's review. The location of the site is shown in Figure 1.

To help inform DFO's review of this application, the Maritimes Regional Aquaculture Coordination Office asked DFO Science three questions:

Question 1. Based on the biological, physical and geochemical information submitted by the proponent, and the accepted use of approved aquaculture products for fish health treatments in the marine environment, what is the expected zone of influence/exposure, from the use of these products, by species in and around the proposed aquaculture site? Does the expected zone of influence extend beyond the boundaries of the aquaculture facility?

Question 2. What species and habitats, focusing on species at risk, key Commercial Recreational and Aboriginal (CRA) species and species vulnerable to aquaculture impacts, exist within this zone of influence (and the broader Bay)? How do these species utilize (i.e., spawning, migrating, feeding, etc.) this area (e.g. the zone of influence)?  Are there any habitats within the zone of influence considered critical or valuable for these species? Specifically,

1. What time of the year and for what duration of time do the species noted above utilize the habitat within the zone of influence?
2. How do the impacts on these species from the proposed aquaculture site compare to impacts from other anthropogenic sources? Does the zone of influence overlap with these activities and if so, what are the consequences?"

Question 3. The proponent has used a depositional model to predict the benthic effects of the proposed aquaculture site. Are the predicted benthic effects, as demonstrated by the output of the depositional model used by the proponent, consistent with the scientific knowledge of the potential impact of this operation?

Maritimes Science staff worked together to generate a science response to these questions, and the results were peer reviewed through a Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) Science Response Process. This Science Response Report results from the Science Response Process of February 8, 2019, on the DFO Maritimes Region Review of the Proposed Marine Finfish Aquaculture Boundary Amendment, Rattling Beach, Digby County, Nova Scotia. 

Science Response 2020/015 (PDF, 2,647 KB)

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