Terms of Reference

Update on Recovery Potential for Cusk (Brosme brosme)

Regional Peer Review Meeting – Maritimes

February 12-13, 2014
St. Andrews, New Brunswick

Chairperson: Christie Whelan

Context

When the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) designates aquatic species as threatened or endangered, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), as the responsible jurisdiction under the Species at Risk Act (SARA), is required to undertake a number of actions. Many of these actions require scientific information on the current status of the species, population or designable unit (DU), threats to its survival and recovery, and the feasibility of its recovery. Formulation of this scientific advice has typically been developed through a Recovery Potential Assessment (RPA) that is conducted shortly after the COSEWIC assessment. This timing allows for the consideration of peer-reviewed scientific analyses into SARA processes including recovery planning.

Cusk (Brosme brosme) was assessed as Threatened by COSEWIC in 2003.  In 2013, the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of the Environment, decided not to add Cusk to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk set out in Schedule 1 SARA.  Meanwhile, Cusk was reassessed as Endangered by COSEWIC in November 2012.  The reasons for designation are “This species is a large, slow-growing, bottom-living fish that resides in the Gulf of Maine and Scotian Shelf, and which has been declining continuously since 1970. The mature portion of the population has declined by approximately 85% over three generations. There is also strong evidence that its area of occupancy has declined considerably. Average fish size has also declined, consistent with a decline in abundance. Limited management efforts have not been effective in halting the decline.”

An RPA was completed for Cusk in 2007 (DFO, 2008) following the first assessment of the species by COSEWIC in 2003.  DFO Science has been asked to update the RPA, based on the National Frameworks (DFO 2007a and b).  The advice generated via this process will update and/or consolidate previous advice regarding Cusk and support a new listing recommendation for Cusk by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.  The advice in the update may be used to inform both scientific and socio-economic elements of the listing decision, as well as development of a recovery strategy and action plan,  and to support decision-making with regards to the issuance of permits, agreements and related conditions, as per section 73, 74, 75, 77 and 78 of SARA.

Objectives

• To update the recovery potential assessment of Cusk.

Assess current/recent species/ status

1. Update present status for abundance and range and number of populations.
2. Update recent species trajectory for abundance (i.e., numbers and biomass focusing on mature individuals) and range and number of populations.
3. Estimate, to the extent that information allows, the current or recent life-history parameters (total mortality, natural mortality, fecundity, maturity, recruitment, etc.) or reasonable surrogates; and associated uncertainties for all parameters.
4. Estimate expected population and distribution targets for recovery, according to DFO guidelines (DFO 2005, and 2011).

Assess the Habitat Use

5. Provide functional descriptions (as defined in DFO 2007b) of the required properties of the aquatic habitat for successful completion of all life-history stages.
6. Identify the activities most likely to threaten the habitat properties that give the sites their value, and provide information on the extent and consequences of these activities.

Scope for Management to Facilitate Recovery

7. Assess the probability that the recovery targets can be achieved under current rates of parameters for population dynamics, and how that probability would vary with different mortality (especially lower) and productivity (especially higher) parameters.
8. Quantify to the extent possible the magnitude of each major potential source of mortality identified in the pre-COSEWIC assessment, the COSEWIC Status Report, information from DFO sectors, and other sources.

Scenarios for Mitigation and Alternative to Activities

9. Using input from all DFO sectors and other sources as appropriate, develop an inventory of all feasible measures to minimize/mitigate the impacts of activities that are threats to the species and its habitat (steps 18 and 20).
10. Using input from all DFO sectors and other sources as appropriate, develop an inventory of all reasonable alternatives to the activities that are threats to the species and its habitat (steps 18 and 20).
11. Using input from all DFO sectors and other sources as appropriate, develop an inventory of activities that could increase the productivity or survivorship parameters (steps 3 and 17).
12. Estimate, to the extent possible, the reduction in mortality rate expected by each of the mitigation measures in step 21 or alternatives in step 22 and the increase in productivity or survivorship associated with each measure in step 23.

Allowable Harm Assessment

13. Evaluate maximum human-induced mortality which the species can sustain and not jeopardize survival or recovery of the species.

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report
• Proceedings
• Research Documents

Participation

• DFO Science
• DFO Ecosystem Management, DFO Fisheries and Aquaculture Management, and DFO Policy and Economics
• Provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
• Aboriginal communities/organizations
• Industry
• Non-governmental organizations
• Academia

References

COSEWIC 2003. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the cusk Brosme Brosme in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vi + 30 pp.

COSEWIC. 2012. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Cusk Brosme brosme in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. x + 85 pp.

DFO. 2005. A framework for developing science advice on recovery targets for aquatic species in the context of the Species at Risk Act. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2005/054.

DFO. 2007a. Revised Protocol for Conducting Recovery Potential Assessments. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2007/039.

DFO. 2007b. Documenting habitat use of species at risk and quantifying habitat quality. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2007/038.

DFO. 2008. Recovery Potential Assessment for Cusk (Brosme brosme). DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2008/024.

DFO. 2011. A Complement to the 2005 Framework for Developing Science Advice on Recovery Targets in the Context of the Species At Risk Act. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2010/061.

Shelton, P.A., B. Best, A. Cass, C. Cyr, D. Duplisea, J. Gibson, M. Hammill, S. Khwaja, M. Koops, K. Martin, B. O’Boyle, J. Rice, A. Sinclair, K. Smedbol, D. Swain, L. Velez-Espino, and C. Wood. 2007. Assessing recovery potential: long-term projections and their implications for socio-economic analysis. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2007/045.