Terms of Reference

Meeting of the National Marine Mammal Peer Review Committee: Baffin Bay Narwhal - Population level sustainable harvest (PBR, TALC) calculation

Zonal Advisory Meeting – National Capital and Central and Arctic Regions

April 1, 2011
WebEx/Teleconference

Chairperson: Don Bowen

Context

In Canada, narwhal are currently managed at the population level. In 2007, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board (NWMB) requested that Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) provide information to assist in establishing Total Allowable Harvest (TAH) for narwhal. DFO Science recommended that the Baffin Bay narwhal population be divided into four discrete management units on the basis of summering aggregations and provided a Total Allowable Landed Catch (TALC) (i.e., after removal of hunt losses) for each of them (SAR 2008/035). Since that time, DFO has provided additional scientific information in support of this recommendation.

To allow a full consideration of whether narwhal should be managed at the population or summering stock level, a population level Potential Biological Removal (PBR) calculation and TALC recommendation is needed for the aggregate Baffin Bay narwhal population.

Objectives

To determine the PBR calculation and associated TALC recommendation for the aggregate Baffin Bay narwhal population. In addition, to determine what caveats are required to clarify the risks to individual summering stocks within the Baffin Bay population of managing the TALC at the population level.

Expected Publications

Scientific advice resulting from this meeting will be published as a Science Advisory Report and the working paper reviewed at the meeting, which provides the support for the advice, will be published as a Research Document. A Proceedings report that summarizes the discussions of the participants will also be produced. These documents will be published on the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) website.

Participation

DFO Oceans & Science, DFO Ecosystems & Fisheries Management, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc, and external scientists/experts (independent, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) will be invited to participate in this science advisory meeting.