Terms of Reference

Regional Peer Review Meeting
Quebec Region

Habitat Use of Copper Redhorse and Quantifying Habitat Quality

March 17 and 18 2009

Montreal, Quebec

Context

The Canadian Species at Risk Act (SARA) requires that Critical Habitat be identified to the extent possible based on the best information available in the Recovery Strategy for all threatened, endangered or extirpated species, or a schedule of studies be included that, when completed, would allow the species’ Critical Habitat to be identified. Once identified as Critical Habitat in a Recovery Strategy or Action Plan, provisions of SARA and/or other federal legislations prevent activities that would destroy the species’ Critical Habitat. The Species Status Report used by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) in its assessment of the risk of extinction includes a description of the habitat requirements of the species, which generally provides the starting information for identification of Critical Habitat.

In December 2006, a meeting was held on the recovery potential analysis (RPA) of a few species at risk in Quebec, such as the copper redhorse. After this review, the copper redhorse was added to the SARA list as an endangered species. Preliminary data on the copper redhorse habitat were presented at the workshop. However, because the information was incomplete and that other studies had been planned to finalize the portrait of the situation in terms of habitat use of copper redhorse, the DFO is holding a workshop, with the participation by the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune du Québec (MRNF), to define the habitat use of copper redhorse and quantifying habitat quality. The recovery strategy is scheduled for publication on the SARA public registry in December 2010.

During the current workshop, participants will study the available scientific data which will be used to evaluate copper redhorse habitat. A second workshop should be held in the fall of 2009 to complete the work of the copper redhorse habitat, particularly to finalize the modelling aspect. Science advice on habitat use by copper redhorse is expected to be provided within 4 months following the second meeting. This advice will serve to guide managers in designating the critical habitat of copper redhorse. It will also help them in defining protection measures to assure an adequate protection.

Objectives

The intent of the current meeting is to assess the habitat use by copper redhorse and quantify habitat quality. It is a science-based peer review meeting. The advice will be provided to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Minister for his consideration in any decision for the designation of the copper redhorse critical habitat.

For the necessary information to be available for consultations, recommending the designation of the critical habitat and commencement of recovery planning for the species, it is necessary that following questions be answered (from DFO 2007. Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2007/038):

1. Provide a functional description of the properties the copper redhorse habitat must have to allow successful completion of all life cycle stages.
2. Provide information on the spatial extent of the areas that are likely to have the necessary properties.
3. Identify the activities most likely to threaten the properties that give the sites their value, and provide information on the extent and consequences of those activities.
4. Quantify how the biological function(s) that specific habitat feature(s) provide to the species varies with the state or amount of the habitat, including carrying capacity limits, if any.
5. Quantify the presence and extent of spatial configuration constraints, if any, such as connectivity, barriers to access, etc.
6. Provide advice on how much habitat of various qualities / properties exists at present.
7. Provide advice on the degree to which supply of suitable habitat meets the demands of the species both at present, and when the species reaches biologically based recovery targets for abundance, range, and number of populations.
8. Provide advice on feasibility of restoring habitat to higher values, if supply may not meet demand by the time recovery targets would be reached, in the context of all available options for achieving recovery targets for population size and range.
9. Provide advice on risks associated with habitat “allocation” decisions, if any options would be available at the time when specific areas are designated as Critical Habitat.
10. Provide advice on the extent to which various threats can alter the quality and/or quantity of habitat that is available and on the means to mitigate these threats.

Products

The meeting will generate a proceedings report summarizing the deliberations of the participants. This will be published in the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) Proceedings Series on the CSAS website. There may be a CSAS Research Document(s) produced in relation to the working paper(s) presented at the workshop. The advice from the meeting will be published in the form of a Science Advisory Report.

Participation

Federal (DFO and EC) and provincial (MRNF and MDDEP) experts