Terms of Reference

Assessment of Human Impacts in the Coastal Zone of Eastern Nova Scotia: Application of the Maritimes Region Ecosystem Approach to Management Framework

Regional Peer Review – Maritimes Region

Part 1 – Scoping Workshop: November 26-28, 2012 (Dartmouth, NS)
Part 2 – Framework Review: March 5-7, 2013 (Dartmouth, NS) - to be confirmed

Co-chairs: Fred Page and Tana Worcester

Context

The purpose of this process is to begin defining a spatially-based operational approach to assess coastal activities within an Ecosystem Approach to Management (EAM) context in the Maritimes Region using the EAM Framework, which was developed in the Maritimes Region. The focus of this process will be the coastal waters of Eastern Nova Scotia as a test case for feasibility of developing and applying such a model.

The process will consider the usefulness and roles of a variety of mapping and modelling (physical, biological, population dynamics) tools that may have the potential to help assess cumulative impacts, including habitat degradation, eutrophication, organic loading, and interactions with wild fish/invertebrate populations. This science-based process will support an initiative to investigate the human dimension of EAM. Together, these processes are intended to advance the overall EAM approach in the Maritimes Region (Appendix 1).

This process will be used to support and enhance the provision of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science advice for regional decisions concerning managed activities in the coastal zone, such as tidal power, coastal development, aquaculture, and capture fisheries. These issues and challenges are expected to be similar to those being addressed by other regions, and lessons learned in the Maritimes Region are expected to contribute to development of national guidance and tools.

Objectives

Part 1 – Scoping Meeting

• Review DFO conservation objectives and strategies for the Maritimes Region as outlined in the Maritimes EAM Framework (Appendix 1). Identify priorities for further analysis during this process.
  
  
• Define the geographic boundaries of the area to be assessed within Eastern Nova Scotia (based on the Maritimes Region coastal classification, if deemed appropriate).
  
  
• Select and describe the appropriate ongoing or proposed activities (with a focus on those under DFO purview, e.g., under the Fisheries Act, Oceans Act, Species at Risk Act or Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, but also those outside of DFO purview that might be of relevance to the assessment) for consideration in this analysis.
  
  
• For each selected activity, identify the key pressures (including spatial extent and/or relevant management unit) it exerts on the ecosystem using existing pathways of effects models and a risk assessment of impacts.
  
  
• For each selected pressure, review the ecosystem attributes that it is expected to impact. Identify priorities for further analysis during this process, including consideration of:
  • Ability to monitor the attribute.
  • Potential implications of ecosystem change (e.g. climate change) on the attribute.
  • Ability of the attribute to accumulate impacts over time (i.e. its potential role in cumulative effects assessment).
    
    
• Review sources of information available to assess the effects of selected coastal activities and pressures on selected ecosystem attributes in Eastern Nova Scotia.
  
  
• Identify any gaps in the framework that need to be addressed in next meeting.

Part 2 – Review of Framework

• To demonstrate how the Maritimes Region EAM Framework would be applied to an area-based assessment on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, specifically:
  • Review progress made on the steps outlined in Part 1 of this process.
  • Evaluate methods and metrics for assessment and monitoring of key pressures, or a reasonable proxy of them, using the best available information.
  • Evaluate methods and metrics for assessment and monitoring of key attributes, or a reasonable proxy of them, using the best available information.
  • Identify a suitable suite of potential tactics to implement the conservation strategies.
  • Discuss the expected impacts of known data gaps on the results of such an assessment.
  • Discuss further work that would be required to:
    • Identify or develop potential reference points for the pressure or its proxy to control the impact on all relevant ecosystem attributes (where they have not yet been established).
    • Establish attribute thresholds and associated adjustments to the reference points.
    • Evaluate methods for assessing cumulative impacts of an activity (i.e., across all relevant attributes) and cumulative impacts to an attribute (i.e., across all relevant activities).

Expected Publications

• CSAS Research Document
• CSAS Proceedings

Participation

• DFO Science
• DFO Ecosystem Management
• DFO Fisheries and Aquaculture Management
• DFO Policy and Economics
• Nova Scotia Provincial Government
• Aboriginal Communities and Organizations
• Academics
• Non-government Organizations
• Fisheries and Aquaculture Industries

References

DFO, 2004. Habitat Status Report on Ecosystem Objectives. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Habitat Status Report 2004/001.

O'Boyle, R., Sinclair, M., Keizer, P., Lee, K., Ricard, D., Yeats, P. 2004. Operationalizing an Ecosystem Conservation Framework for the Eastern Scotian Shelf. DFO. Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2012\076.