Terms of Reference

Updating offshore Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas in the Scotian Shelf Bioregion

Maritimes Regional Science Advisory Process

February 18-20 and March 24, 2014
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Chairpersons:  Christie Whelan and Kent Smedbol

Context

Canada's Oceans Act (1997) authorises Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to conserve and protect living aquatic resources and their supporting ecosystems through the creation of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) and MPA networks, and to provide enhanced management to areas of the oceans and coasts via the development of Integrated Oceans Management Plans. Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) are areas that warrant a greater-than-usual degree of risk aversion in the management of activities due to their particularly high ecological or biological significance (DFO 2011a). Identifying EBSAs is not a general strategy for protecting all species, habitats or communities that have some ecological significance (DFO 2004), but EBSAs will inform broader oceans planning and management processes and be considered in the design of bioregional MPA networks (DFO 2011b).

DFO has developed national guidance and criteria for the identification of EBSAs (DFO 2004, 2011a, 2011b) and Canada has endorsed the very similar scientific criteria of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (CBD 2009). Over the past decade, DFO has made considerable progress on identifying EBSAs in Canadian waters. The initial focus has been on the Department's five Large Ocean Management Areas (LOMAs) but EBSA identification efforts have started to expand beyond LOMAs.

In the Scotian Shelf Bioregion, which roughly corresponds to the DFO Maritimes Region boundary, there have been several efforts to identify EBSAs using a variety of approaches (e.g., Buzeta and Singh 2008; Doherty and Horsman 2007; Gromack et al. 2010; Maclean et al. 2009; Horsman et al. 2011). In March 2012, DFO Maritimes held a Regional Science Advisory Process (RAP) to develop initial advice on the ecological data and methods that should be considered in designing a network of MPAs in the bioregion. One of the recommendations was to re-evaluate the original offshore scientific expert opinion EBSAs described by Doherty and Horsman (2007). Updating the list of EBSAs for the Scotian Shelf Bioregion is also a specific deliverable under the Health of the Oceans initiative for the current fiscal year.

Objectives

The primary objective of this Science Advisory Process is to review and provide advice on an updated list of EBSAs for the offshore component of the Scotian Shelf Bioregion. The DFO EBSA criteria will be used as the primary basis for updating the EBSA; however, the CBD criteria will also be considered.

The data and mapping methods used to develop individual data layers relevant to the DFO and CBD EBSA criteria for the offshore component of the Scotian Shelf Bioregion will also be presented. These EBSA data layers have been developed based on the guidance developed at the March 2012 RAP (DFO 2012). The meeting is intended to evaluate the scientific basis for identifying certain areas as EBSAs and is not intended to evaluate management options for identified EBSAs.

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report
• Proceedings
• Research Document

Participation

• DFO Science
• DFO Ecosystem Management
• DFO Resource Management
• DFO Policy and Economics
• Other Government Departments
• Provincial Governments
• Aboriginal Groups
• Academics
• Non-government Organizations
• Fishing Industry
• Other Industry

References

Buzeta, M-I., and R. Singh. 2008. Identification of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas in the Bay of Fundy, Gulf of Maine. Volume 1: Areas Identified for Review, and Assessment of the Quoddy Region. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2788: vii + 80 p.

CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity). 2009. Ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, 19-30 May 2008 - Bonn, Germany. Marine and Coastal Biodiversity, (COP) 9, Decision IX/20.

DFO, 2004. Identification of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Ecosystem Status Rep. 2004/006.

DFO, 2006. Identification of Ecologically Significant Species and Community Properties. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2006/041

DFO, 2007. Guidance Document on Identifying Conservation Priorities and Phrasing Conservation Objectives for Large Ocean Management Areas. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2007/010.

DFO. 2008. Further Guidance on the Formulation, Prioritization, and Use of Conservation Objectives in an Ecosystem Approach to Integrated Management of Human Activities in Aquatic Ecosystems. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2008/029.

DFO. 2010. Science Guidance on the Development of Networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2009/061.

DFO. 2011a. Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas – Lessons Learned. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2011/049.

DFO. 2011b. National Framework for Canada’s Network of MPAs. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ottawa. 31pp.

DFO. 2012. Marine Protected Area Network Planning in the Scotian Shelf Bioregion: Objectives, Data, and Methods. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2012/064.

DFO. 2013a Guidance on the Formulation of Conservation Objectives and Identification of Indicators, Monitoring Protocols and Strategies for Bioregional Marine Protected Area Networks. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2012/081.

DFO. 2013b. Science Guidance on how to Achieve Representativity in the Design of Marine Protected Area Networks. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2012/083.

Doherty, P., and T. Horsman. 2007. Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas of the Scotian Shelf and Environs: A Compilation of Scientific Expert Opinion. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2774: 57 + xii pp.

Gromack, A.G., Allard, K., Fenton, D., Johnston, S., and Ford, J. 2010. Ecological and Human use Information for Twenty Areas on the Atlantic Coast of Nova Scotia in Support of Conservation Planning. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2880: xiv + 226 p.

Horsman, T.L., Serdynska, A., Zwanenburg, K.C.T., and Shackell, N.L. 2011. Report on the Marine Protected Area Network Analysis in the Maritimes Region, Canada. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2917: xi + 188 p.

Maclean, M., Breeze, H., and Doherty, P. 2009. Using Fish Harvesters Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) in Support of Identifying Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas on the Offshore Eastern Scotian Shelf. Oceans and Habitat Report 2009-01. Oceans and Coastal Management Branch, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, NS, Canada: iv + 49 p.