Terms of Reference

Ballast Water Exchange Sites

National Peer Review

30 November – 1 December 2004
Montreal, Quebec

Chairperson: Sylvain Paradis

Over the last few years, DFO scientists have provided scientific advice for the management and regulation of ballast water exchange to Transport Canada via a number of mechanisms [e.g., Halifax Workshop (2003), personal communications, etc.]. These informal processes, however, are not consistent with DFO’s objective of providing peer reviewed science advice for use in regulatory development or decision making. To implement this objective, DFO has been strengthening its science advisory process on this issue. DFO Science, therefore, is initiating a peer review on ballast water exchange sites.

Background

DFO scientists have been asked to develop four papers on the following:

• alternative ballast water exchange zones on the east coast;
• alternative ballast water exchange zones on the west coast;
• the Laurentian Channel as an alternative ballast water exchange zone; and
• the risk of alien invasive species introductions to the Arctic via ballast water discharge.

The exchange zone papers will address both trans-Pacific / trans-Atlantic and coastal traffic and focus on the following:

• discuss/describe any alternative ballast water exchange zones that already have been identified by other government departments or agencies;
• evaluate the risks that the identified zones may pose to fisheries resources and to the marine ecosystem; and
• identify and rationalize other zones that may pose a lower risk to fisheries resources and to the marine ecosystem. This element could include port-specific strategies.

Much of the above information already has been developed and/or discussed with Transport Canada, but it is important to now validate it through a rigorous review process.

A DFO hosted National Peer Review will be held on 30 November – 1 December, 2004, to review the papers. Invited participants will receive copies of the draft discussion papers approximately two weeks prior to the meeting. Experts from DFO and representatives from Transport Canada, industry, academia, provinces, and the U.S. will be invited to the meeting.

Meeting Objectives

The objective of the peer review will be to assess whether the conclusions presented in the draft papers are credible and supported by scientific data.

Outputs

The draft papers will be revised based on the comments received during the peer review and the final versions of the four papers will be published using the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat [CSAS] publication series.

The final versions of the papers will be used in the development of DFO’s formal advice to Transport Canada on alternative ballast water exchange sites.