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Review of Conservation Targets and Network Design Options for the Northern Shelf Bioregion Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network

Regional Peer Review Process – Pacific Region

May 23-25, 2017
Vancouver, British Columbia

Chairpersons: Miriam O and Russ Jones

Context

Canada has committed to establishing a well-connected system of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to protect at least 10% of coastal and marine areas by 2020Footnote 1. Through Canada’s Oceans Act and its 2004 memorandum of understanding with the Province of British Columbia regarding implementation of Canada’s Oceans Strategy, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is working with other federal and provincial departments to collaborate on understanding and protecting the marine environment on the Pacific Coast. The federal government also signed the 2008 Memorandum of Understanding on Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Plan (PNCIMA) Collaborative Oceans Governance and the 2012 Letter of Intent to Collaborate on Marine Planning and other Fisheries Related Issues in the Pacific North Coast with both Coastal First Nations and the North Coast Skeena First Nations Stewardship Society as well as Nanwakolas Council in an amendment to the former Letter of Intent. In addition, the Province of BC and First Nations in British Columbia (BC) have developed marine use plans for areas within the Northern Shelf Bioregion (NSB) to be considered for candidate MPAs. Building on previous collaboration and commitments, Canada, the Province of BC, and First Nations have formed the Marine Protected Areas Technical Team (MPATT) to coordinate the technical aspects of MPA network design, planning and implementation in the NSB.

The development of Canada’s MPA network is guided by the 2011 National Framework for Canada’s Network of MPAs (Government of Canada 2011). Additionally, DFO Science has provided general guidance on:

  1. the design of MPA networks (DFO 2010),
  2. achieving representativity in these networks (DFO 2013),
  3. formulating ecological conservation objectives for individual MPAs (DFO 2008, 2013) and
  4. identifying conservation priorities for large ocean management areas (DFO 2007, 2012, Murray et al 2016).

In the Pacific region, the Canada – British Columbia Marine Protected Area Network Strategy (2014) (“the Strategy”) serves as a basis for guiding the design, development, and implementation of MPA networks for Canada’s Pacific waters. The Strategy outlines six conservation, social, cultural, and economic goals to be achieved by the development of a network of MPAs. Goal 1 of the Strategy is of primary importance and specifies the ecological objectives that guide protection and maintenance of marine biodiversity, ecological representation and special natural features. As one key step in addressing Goal 1 of the Strategy, a Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) peer review was held in November, 2016, to identify ecological conservation priorities for the Northern Shelf Bioregion (NSB) MPA network. However, MPA network ecological design strategies have not yet been developed for the Northern Shelf Bioregion.

Ecological design strategies for the NSB MPA network include the following elements:

Targets for the ecological conservation priorities identified for the NSB are the focal design strategy, and are assigned to each ecological conservation priority.  The other elements identified above will interact with the assigned targets, and be incorporated into the overall network design.

All of the elements functioning together make up the design strategies, and support key decisions needed to integrate and analyze available and relevant spatial data in a systematic conservation planning process for MPA network design in NSB. Ecological design strategies for the MPA network in the NSB will describe how the ecological conservation priorities will be spatially incorporated into the network design, and influence where MPAs will be located and how they will be managed, to achieve network goals and objectives. For example, design strategies for ecological conservation priorities provide recommendations on the proportion of a species range or habitat area that should be protected in the MPA network to achieve the ecological objectives described in the Strategy.

Guidance on ecological design strategies is available in the literature based on MPA network design processes from within BC and other jurisdictions (e.g., California Dept. of Fish and Game 2008, Gaines et al 2010, Jessen et al 2011, Ban et al 2013, Burt et al 2014, Lieberknecht et al 2016). DFO Ecosystem Management Branch requested that Science Branch develop ecological design strategies for the NSB MPA network planning process, including area-based targets for the ecological conservation priorities of the NSB identified during the November 2016 CSAS peer review, as well as operational recommendations that inform site selection analyses; including MPA size, spacing, replication, connectivity and protection levels of the MPA network. Note that socio-economic and cultural design strategies are outside the scope of this work. The assessment and advice arising from this Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Regional Peer Review will be used to inform MPATT’s development of a network of MPAs in the NSB.

Objectives

The following working paper will be reviewed and provide the basis for discussion and advice on the specific objectives outlined below.

The specific objectives of this review are to:

  1. Assess the approach for identifying targets for MPA network ecological Conservation Priorities in the NSB.
  2. Review whether the targets for ecological Conservation Priorities for the MPA network in the NSB are appropriate to support the ecological objectives of the MPA network.
  3. Evaluate the criteria and methods that guide how targets should be applied in site selection analysis.
  4. Determine if recommendations for other design strategies (including size, spacing, replication, connectivity, and protection levels) are appropriate to support the ecological objectives of the MPA network.
  5. Provide advice regarding the suggested approaches for applying other design strategies during the site selection analysis and target application process.
  6. Identify and discuss uncertainties and gaps in methods and results.

Expected Publications

Participation

References

Ban, N.C., Bodtker, K.M., Nicolson, D., Robb, C.K., Royle, K., and Short, C. 2013. Setting the stage for marine spatial planning: Ecological and social data collation and analyses in Canada’s Pacific waters. Marine Policy 39:11-20.

Burt, J.M., Akins, P., Lathem, E. Beck, M., Salomon, A.K., Ban, N.C. 2014. Marine protected area network design features that support resilient human-ocean systems - Applications for British Columbia, Canada. Simon Fraser University. British Columbia, Canada. 159 pp.

California Department of Fish and Game. 2008. Master Plan for Marine Protected Areas, Revised Draft. 110 pp.

Canada-British Columbia Marine Protected Area Network Strategy. 2014. 36 pp.

DFO. 2016. Guidance on Identifying “Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures” in Canadian Coastal and Marine Waters. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2016/002.

DFO. 2013. 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. 2012. Risk-based Assessment Framework to Identify Priorities for Ecosystem-based Oceans Management in the Pacific Region. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2012/044.

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. 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, 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.

Government of Canada. 2011. National Framework for Canada’s Network of Marine Protected Areas. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ottawa. 31 pp.

Gaines, S.D., White, C., Carr, M.H., and Palumbi, S.R. 2010. Designing marine reserve networks for both conservation and fisheries management. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107(43):18286-18293.

Jessen, S., Chan, K., Cote, I, Dearden, P., DeSanto, E. Fortin, M., Guichard, F., Haider, W., Jamieson, G., Kramer, D., McCrea-Strub, A., Mulrennan, M., Montevecchi, W. Roff, J., Salomon, A., Gardner, J., Honka, L., Menafra, R. and Woodley, A. 2011. Science-based guidelines for MPAs and MPA networks in Canada. Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. Vancouver, B.C. 58 pp.

Lieberknecht, L.M., Ardron, J.A., Ban, N.C., Bennet, N.J., Eckert, L., Hooper, T.E.J., and Robinson, C.L.K. 2016. Recommended guidelines for applying Canada-BC Marine Protected Area Network Principles in Canada’s Northern Shelf Bioregion: Principles 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,11,14, and 15. Report produced by PacMARA for the British Columbia Marine Protected Areas Technical Team (MPATT). 142 pp.

Murray, C.C., Mach, M.E., and O, M. 2016. Pilot ecosystem risk assessment to assess cumulative risk to species in the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA). DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2016/049. vii + 59 p.

Notice

Participation to CSAS peer review meetings is by invitation only.

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