Terms of Reference

National Marine Mammal Peer Review Committee (NMMPRC): February 2019 Biannual Meeting

National Peer Review - National Capital Region

February 11-15, 2019
Vancouver, BC

Chairperson: Garry Stenson and Lianne Postma

Context

The National Marine Mammal Peer Review Committee (NMMPRC) holds at least one annual meeting to conduct scientific peer-review of marine mammal issues. Meetings provide the opportunity for collaborative review of scientific results by marine mammal experts from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and from other (non-DFO) organizations. Following NMMPRC peer-review and approval, scientific results are used to provide sound scientific advice for the management and conservation of marine mammals in Canada.

Topics

Specific Terms of Reference for each topic are as follows:

1. Cumberland Sound Beluga Survey 2017 - Population Abundance Estimate

Context

In 2004, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) recommended that Cumberland Sound Beluga (CSB) be designated as “Threatened” under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). In 2014, this population was reassessed by COSEWIC as “Endangered”. Continued research and monitoring of this beluga population is required to ensure sustainability of the Inuit subsistence harvest. DFO Fisheries and Harbour Management (FHM) and its Nunavut co-management partners are developing an Integrated Fisheries Management Plan with the community of Pangnirtung. DFO Science Advice will be considered by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board to evaluate the sustainability of the current quota, and the level of TAH and BNL to be established for this beluga population.

An aerial survey of Cumberland Sound was conducted in summer 2017.  An updated population abundance estimate and sustainable harvest level recommendation are required for the CSB population.  This request is a re-submission from 2010-2013.

The two parts of this request reflect recommendations contained in SAR 2013/003:

1. Provide a population abundance estimate based on the aerial survey of CSB in 2017 and sustainable harvest level recommendation for the 2019 harvest year.
2. Complete the Bayesian population dynamic modeling of the 2009 to 2017 aerial survey results, and if supported by this analysis, provide an updated population abundance estimate and sustainable harvest level recommendation for CSB.

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report
• Research Document
2. Development of spatially and behaviourally explicit correction factors for St. Lawrence beluga counts during photographic and visual aerial surveys

Context

St. Lawrence Estuary beluga (SLEB) whale population was recently assessed (2014) as Endangered by COSEWIC and is listed in Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act. Actions are taken to promote the recovery of this population but in order to measure progress, it is necessary to obtain reliable estimates of the size of the population.

Currently, the size of the SLEB population is based on systematic photographic and visual aerial surveys (e.g., Gosselin et al., 2014, 2017). We have to apply a correction factor to account for the proportion of St. Lawrence belugas that are underwater during photographic inventories (Kingsley and Gauthier 2002). Without a better correction factor, the latter is currently applied to visual aerial surveys as well, although it may bias down the abundance estimates obtained by visual surveys. Since photographic inventories are very expensive and involve more uncertainty than the realization of multiple visual inventories, we are turning more and more to the latter type of inventory to measure the size and trend of the SLEB population.

Objective

To determine whether correction factors applied to visual and photographic inventories of beluga whales in the St. Lawrence Estuary can be improved by using available data on the diving behavior of beluga whales. More specifically:

• Define a global correction factor and the uncertainty surrounding it, for visual inventories and photographic inventories
• Determine the effect on these correction factors and the uncertainty around them, whether or not to consider:
• local turbidity
• beluga activity (restricted search vs. transit)
• beluga activity and local turbidity

Expected Publications

• Research Document
3. Recovery Potential Assessment for Pacific Grey Whale in Canada

Context

A Recovery Potential Assessment (RPA) is a key document that supports the government listing decision process for species at risk. The RPA provides the scientific background, identification of threats and probability of recovery of a species, or population, that is deemed to be at risk.  The RPA informs the development of the SARA recovery strategy and action plan.

Currently, grey whales in Canadian Pacific waters are managed as a single population; however, three putative DUs have been identified.  In 2017, COSEWIC recommended an Endangered listing for two of the three populations of Pacific grey whale that use Canadian waters.. The Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG) is composed of an estimated 209 Grey Whales that do not migrate to Arctic waters to feed in summer. This PCFG instead remains resident in Canadian waters throughout the summer months. The Western Pacific Grey Whale (WPGW) population feeds off Sakhalin Island, Russia and southern Kamchatka during summer and autumn, but at least a portion of this population undertakes what are likely annual seasonal migrations across the Pacific and into Canadian waters as they move toward wintering grounds in Mexico. Therefore, these whales may also spend time feeding in British Columbia waters.

Information gaps remain regarding these putative populations.  Science advice which includes these populations will assist in developing SARA management measures and future development of a SARA Recovery Strategy should any of the threatened or endangered DUs be listed as such under SARA.

Objective

A Recovery Potential Assessment (RPA) for grey whales in Canada is required following the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessment on the species in November 2017.  The Eastern North Pacific Grey Whale population was split into three designatable Units (DUs), and two of these were assessed as “Endangered”.

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report
4. Eclipse Sound & Admiralty Inlet Narwhal - Sustainability of a Combined Management Unit

Context

DFO is moving toward a Sustainable Fisheries Framework for key fisheries that contains existing DFO policies for resource management decisions, and builds on new policies to address ecosystems factors and precautionary considerations. Updated science and a documented management approach is required for sustainable narwhal management. Domestic management measures must also conform to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) requirements for international trade. Additionally, the Nunavut Agreement requires a valid conservation basis on which to limit Inuit harvest.

Currently, the Baffin Bay narwhal population is considered to be large (>140,000) and composed of four-six summer aggregations which are defined by genetic, contaminant, and behavioral differences (DFO 2013, 2015). Eclipse Sound and Admiralty Inlet narwhal aggregations are currently considered as separate management stocks and Total Allowable Landed Catch (TALC) recommendations are provided as Science Advice for each (DFO 2015). Satellite tagging data from DFO (2013) noted that some mixing occurs between the two summering aggregations, suggesting the two should be combined. Recent telemetry studies from 2016-2018 have been collected and are expected to provide further information on the division of narwhal summering aggregations within Eclipse Sound and Admiralty Inlet.

Based on the 2013 abundance estimate for the Eclipse Sound aggregation (DFO 2015) and the 2016 abundance estimate (DFO, unpublished), the existing TALC of 236 would need to be reduced in order to conform with the DFO CITES Scientific Authority to issue a CITES Non-Detrimental Finding (NDF), authorizing the export of narwhal products legally harvested from the Eclipse Sound narwhal fishery. DFO Resource Management has requested DFO Science review the new scientific information, including recent tagging data for the Eclipse Sound and Admiralty Inlet narwhal and determine if the current summering aggregations are accurate and their status in order to revise the sustainable harvest recommendations.

Objective

• To assess the degree of connectivity between the Eclipse Sound and Admiralty Inlet narwhal summer aggregations based on recent tagging data (2016-2018) and new published information; and,
• If appropriate, recommend modifications (division or amalgamation) to the current definition of narwhal summer aggregation areas (i.e., management units) for Eclipse Sound and Admiralty Inlet.

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report
• Research Document

References

DFO. 2013. Evaluation of Baffin Bay narwhal hunt sustainability. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2012/038.

DFO. 2015. Abundance estimates of narwhal stocks in the Canadian High Arctic in 2013. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2015/046.

5. Identification of important habitat for the Northern Bottlenose Whale (Scotian Shelf population)

Context

Critical habitat for the Northern Bottlenose Whale (NBW; Scotian Shelf population) was identified in the Recovery Strategy using the best available information at the time of publication (2009-10). Critical habitat currently includes three canyons on the Eastern Scotian Shelf (Gully, Shortland, and Haldimand Canyons). The Schedule of Studies in the Recovery Strategy (2016) includes acoustic monitoring of the inter-canyon areas to determine whether they may also be considered critical habitat. Acoustic monitoring in and between these canyons using bottom-mounted data recorders since 2012 has provided new information upon which important habitat may be delineated. This information will be used to determine whether additional critical habitat should be identified for this population under the Species at Risk Act (SARA).

Objective

The questions to be addressed include the following:

• How does species presence in the inter-canyon areas compare to that within the canyons?
• What are the biophysical functions, features, and attributes of the inter-canyon habitats for Northern Bottlenose Whales?
• What are the spatial extents of the areas that support the above habitat properties?
• What are the activities likely to destroy the functions, features, and attributes of the inter-canyon habitats?

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report
• Research Document
6. Presentation and informal discussion regarding the Eastern Beaufort Sea (EBS) beluga/bowhead survey design (planned for 2019)

Expected Publications

• Informal feedback only
7. Informal Discussion on Seal predation impacts in Atlantic and Pacific

Expected Publications

• Informal feedback only

Expected Publications

• NOTE that a Proceedings of this entire meeting will also be prepared

Expected Participation

• DFO (Ecosystems and Oceans Science, Species at Risk, Fisheries and Harbour Management sectors)
• Academia or Academics
• Other invited experts