Terms of Reference

National Peer Review Meeting

SARA Population and Distribution Objectives

29-30 October, 2009

Business Continuity Center
200 Kent, Ottawa

Chairperson: Kent Smedbol and Simon Nadeau

Background

The Species at Risk Act (SARA) requires, through the recovery strategy, that a statement of the population and distribution objectives that will assist the recovery and survival of the species be made. Delineating potential recovery Targets is also a key step within the Recovery Potential Assessment (RPA) process. Recovery targets, coupled with the recovery strategy, directly influence the extent and kinds of conservation actions required to protect the species and its critical habitat, and therefore will have an indirect impact on allowable harm and the types and magnitude of the socio-economic impacts to be incurred following a decision to list a species under SARA, especially for aquatic species and species whose critical habitat falls on federal lands. Anticipated Socio-economic impacts have been the main reason identified for the non-listing of many aquatic species at risk.

As SARA confers latitude in setting recovery targets as well as population and distribution objectives, considerable variation is apparent with regards to the magnitude of these targets and objectives in RPAs and recovery strategies for aquatic species published to date. This is consistent with the spectrum of what could constitute recovery identified in the 2005 CSAS Recovery Target workshop (A Framework for Developing Science Advice on Recovery Targets for Aquatic Species in the Context of the Species At Risk Act).

Given that DFO has considerably more experience now in implementing SARA, it may be time to look again at the setting of population and distribution objectives within the context of RPAs and recovery strategies.

Objectives

1. To review what can guide the development of recovery target and population and distribution objectives within the SARA context;
2. To review recovery targets and population and distribution objectives in existing RPAs and published recovery strategies and categorize them with regards to the approach selected;
3. To document the requirements, constraints and practices of all DFO clients (Resource Management, Habitat Management, Policy, SARA coordination, SARA Recovery Planning), Environment Canada and Parks Canada Agency with regards to recovery targets and population and distribution objectives; and
4. To review and update the 2005/054 Recovery Target guidelines and refine guidance as appropriate.

Proposed approach

1. Form a DFO steering committee (observers from EC and PCA) to polish up the approach proposed below, including development of the workshop agenda, preparing workshop documents (see below) as well as identifying any directly related issue which should be addressed at the workshop.
2. Prior to the workshop, clarify if, as a minimum, population and distribution objectives can be based on the goal of improving the species’ status such that the species no longer qualifies for threatened or any higher risk? Such clarification should benefit from Legal Services input before the workshop.
3. Prepare and distribute summary paper and spreadsheet on approach selected for the setting of population and distribution objective within RPAs/Recovery strategies.
4. Obtain sectoral and interdepartmental input on requirements, constraints and practices with regards to recovery targets and population and distribution objectives – It would be desirable to obtain such input in writing before the workshop.
5. Hold Workshop to review and discuss material produced through steps 2 to 4 above; and review the 2005/054 Recovery Target guidelines and refine guidance as appropriate.

Products

A CSAS Proceedings Document will be produced to summarize the workshop discussions and conclusions. If significant new guidance, as indicated by the participants, is produced as a result of this workshop, then a Science Advisory Report will be produced as a replacement to the 2005/054 Recovery Target guidelines.

Participation

Participation will be by invitation, as recommended by Members of the Workshop Steering Committee, and will include the Species at Risk Science Network, a representative subset of DFO Scientists having produced RPAs and actively contributed to the development of recovery targets for a variety of taxonomic groups and recovery contexts, Regional species at risk managers/coordinators, HQ relevant SAR representatives, representatives of Environment Canada and Parks Canada Agency recovery practitioners, DFO Legal Services. To obtain meaningful contribution from all participants as well as optimize cost and benefits, the target maximum number of participants is set at 40.