Terms of Reference

Fraser River Sockeye Pre-COSEWIC

Regional Peer Review Meeting – Pacific Region

March 1, 2012
Nanaimo, BC

Chair: Sean MacConnachie

Context

The implementation of the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), proclaimed in June 2003, begins with an assessment of a species’ risk of extinction by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). COSEWIC is a non-government scientific advisory body that has been established under Section 14 of SARA to perform species assessments which provide the scientific foundation for listing species under SARA. Therefore, an assessment initiates the regulatory process whereby the competent Minister must decide whether or not to accept COSEWIC’s assessment and add a species to Schedule 1 of SARA, which would result in legal protection for the species under the Act. If the species is already on Schedule 1 of SARA, the Minister may decide to keep the species on the list, reclassify it as per the COSEWIC assessment, or to remove it from the list (Section 27 of SARA).

Fraser River Sockeye is currently being assessed by COSEWIC. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), as a generator and archivist of information on marine species, is to provide COSEWIC with the best information available to ensure that an accurate assessment of the status of a species can be undertaken. Pre-COSEWIC reviews normally try to provide information for the categories: 1) Life history characteristics; 2) Review of designatable units; 3) Review the COSEWIC criteria (COSEWIC, 2010); 4) Describe the characteristics or elements of the species habitat to the extent possible, and threats to that habitat; 5) Describe, to the extent possible, whether the species has a residence as defined by SARA, 6) Threats; and, 7) Other.  Currently there is extensive information published respecting items 1, 2, 4, and part of 3 (the COSEWIC criterion related to population trends and size). The intent of this review is to focus on item 5 and the remaining part of 3 (population distribution), as this information has not been peer reviewed or made publicly available to date.

Results of this Regional Advisory Process (RAP) will be made available to COSEWIC, the author(s) of the species status report, and the co-chairs of the applicable COSEWIC Species Specialist Subcommittee.

Meeting Objectives

The overall objective is to review available DFO information relevant to the COSEWIC criterion related to population distribution of Fraser River Sockeye in Canadian waters and assess whether this species utilizes a “residence” as defined by SARA.

One working paper will be developed to consider the following:

1. Spawning Population Distribution (COSEWIC Quantitative Criteria and Guidelines for the Status Assessment of Wildlife Species, Criterion B – Small Distribution and Decline or Fluctuation): Using information the most recent survey information for the species in Canada as a whole and for each designatable unit summarize the following:
   1. The current extent of occurrence (in km²) in Canadian waters
   2. The current area of occupancy (in km²) in Canadian waters
   3. Changes in extent of occurrence and area of occupancy over as long a time as possible, and in particular, over the past three generations.
   4. Any evidence that there have been changes in the degree of fragmentation of the overall population, or a reduction in the number of meta-population units.
      
      
2. Species Residence: To the extent possible, determine whether the species has a residence as defined by SARA.  SARA's 2(1) defines Residence as “a dwelling-place, such as a den, nest or other similar area or place, that is occupied or habitually occupied by one or more individuals during all or part of their life cycles, including breeding, rearing, staging, wintering, feeding or hibernating.”

Expected Publications

• CSAS Science Advisory Report
• CSAS Proceedings
• CSAS Research Documents are expected from the working papers submitted for review.

Participation

Participants will be invited from: DFO (Science, Oceans, Habitat and Species at Risk), Aboriginal Communities, Province of BC, Academia, Industry, Non-governmental Organizations and Other Stakeholders.

References

COSEWIC. 2010. COSEWIC's Assessment Process and Criteria.