Terms of Reference

Anguniaqvia Niqiqyuam Area of Interest: Monitoring Indicators, Protocols and Strategies

Regional Peer Review – Central and Arctic Region

February 19-21, 2014
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Chairpersons: Oksana Schimnowski and Kevin Hedges

Context

Under the Health of the Oceans  initiative, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science is required to provide support and advice on Marine Protected Areas to DFO Oceans Management. Currently, this includes the identification of indicators, protocols and strategies that are to be incorporated into Marine Protected Area (MPA) monitoring plans. Indicators, protocols and strategies are intended to allow DFO to evaluate whether the regulatory conservation objectives (COs) are being met for an MPA. Darnley Bay is located in the western Canadian Arctic within the Beaufort Sea Large Ocean Management Area (LOMA) and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR). A portion of Darnley Bay was nominated as an Area of Interest and is called the Anguniaqvia Niqiqyuam Area of Interest (ANAOI). For the ANAOI, one of the conservation objectives is “to maintain the integrity of the marine environment offshore of the Cape Parry Migratory Bird Sanctuary (MBS) so that it is productive and allows for high trophic level feeding by ensuring that the Cape Parry polynyas and associated sea-ice habitat, and the role of key prey species (e.g., Arctic Cod), are not disrupted by human activities.”. DFO Science has been asked to provide advice on indicators protocols and strategies to evaluate the Cape Parry conservation objective.

Selection of indicators and protocols for collection and analysis of data must be scientifically defensible.

Objectives

The objectives of the meeting are to…

• Develop indicators, protocols and strategies that are appropriate for evaluating the Cape Parry conservation objective.
• Assess whether data have been collected for any of these indicators and if so whether these data can be used to provide base-line information for evaluating the Cape Parry conservation objective.

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report
• Proceedings
• Research Documents

Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) (Science, Oceans Programs)
• Fisheries Joint Management Committee
• University of Manitoba
• Museum of Nature
• Community of Paulatuk