Terms of Reference

Identification of Additional Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) within the Newfoundland and Labrador Shelves Bioregion

Regional Peer Review Process – Newfoundland and Labrador Region

October 23-25, 2012
St. John’s, NL

Chairpersons: Garry Stenson & Nadine Templeman

Context

Under Canada’s Oceans Act (1997), “conservation, based on an ecosystem approach, is of fundamental importance to maintaining biological diversity and productivity in the marine environment”. This Act provides the legislative framework for an integrated ecosystem-approach to management in Canadian oceans, particularly in areas considered ecologically or biologically significant.

The Oceans Act (S35(2)) also commits Canada domestically to the development of a national system of marine protected areas (MPAs) within an integrated management planning context. Commitments for the establishment of a network of MPAs have also been made at a number of international fora, including the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD, Johannesburg, 2002), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Conference of the Parties (COP) Decision VIII/24. CBD subsequently provided technical guidance on the establishing MPA networks in the CBD-COP9 Decision IX/20 [Marine and Coastal Biodiversity], including its Annexes I-III, and DFO Science has used these criteria to provide advice in the form of Guidance on the Development of Networks on Marine Protected Areas (SAR 2009/061) for domestic application, particularly at the Regional scale.

DFO has developed guidance for the identification of ecologically or biologically significant areas (EBSA) (DFO 2004). A DFO National Advisory Process was held in 2011 to examine the lessons learned in the previous application of national guidelines to identify EBSAs within the Department’s five national LOMAs. This recent additional guidance (DFO 2011) will assist in addressing the potential issues that may arise while moving forward with the identification of EBSAs outside of the Large Ocean Management Area (LOMA).

In support of domestic integrated management efforts, EBSAs have already been identified in each of DFO’s five LOMAs, including the Placentia Bay Grand Banks LOMA (Templeman 2007). Advice on the identification of additional EBSAs that are within the larger Newfoundland and Labrador Shelves Bioregion (see DFO 2009) exclusive of the Placentia Bay/Grand Banks Large Ocean Management Area will serve as a key component of the information necessary for i) developing Canada’s network of MPAs to meet the domestic and international commitments noted above, and ii) facilitating the implementation of DFO’s Sustainable Fisheries Framework under the Fisheries Act. In addition, this information will be of direct use to other federal Departments, as well as the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and other organizations, who are responsible for the management of activities in the Newfoundland and Labrador Shelves Bioregion (outside the LOMA) within their mandate (e.g. resource extraction, marine shipping, ocean dumping, spill response, cable laying, land use planning, etc.).

A Regional Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) peer review process will be held in St. John’s, NL from October 23-25, 2012 to provide science advice on the identification of marine EBSAs in the Newfoundland and Labrador Shelves area falling outside of the PBGB LOMA.

Objectives

The primary objective of the meeting is to identify, using the best existing and available information, EBSAs within the Newfoundland and Labrador Shelves Bioregion occurring outside of the Placentia Bay Grand Banks LOMA.

In order to achieve this objective, meeting participants will address the following:

Identify areas in the Newfoundland and Labrador Shelves Bioregion (outside the LOMA) considered EBSAs as per National DFO guidance.
For each of the identified EBSAs:
1. provide a justification outlining why the area is considered ecologically or biologically significant; and
2. indicate the level of confidence in the delineation of the area, as well as any sources of uncertainty
If possible, prioritize identified EBSAs within the Newfoundland and Labrador Shelves Bioregion based on levels of biological and ecological significance in the ecosystem.
Produce maps indicating where EBSA are located in the Newfoundland and Labrador Shelves Bioregion, indicating if appropriate areas where analysis is not possible due to lack of information.

One or more working papers describing the methods and outcomes associated with identifying EBSAs within the Newfoundland and Labrador Shelves Bioregion will be submitted for peer review at this meeting.