Terms of Reference

Science Advice to Assist in the Development of an Ecological Monitoring Plan for the Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam Marine Protected Area

Regional Peer Review – Central and Arctic Region

February 18-20, 2020
Winnipeg, MB and teleconference/WebEx

Chairperson: Jason Stow

Context

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science sector provides advice in support of the management and monitoring of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). As part of the steps to establish Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam MPA (ANMPA), DFO Science provided advice on identifying monitoring indicators, protocols, and strategies (DFO 2015) that allows for the future evaluation that conservation objectives of the ANMPA are being met. A monitoring plan is currently being co-developed by DFO Oceans Program and the ANMPA Working Group as a key component for ANMPA management. This monitoring plan will provide a structured approach to gathering information to support the management and monitoring of ANMPA, to meet its conservation objectives.

The conservation objectives for ANMPA are:

• To maintain the integrity of the marine environment offshore of the Cape Parry Migratory Bird Sanctuary so that it is productive and allows for higher trophic level feeding;
• To maintain the habitat to support populations of key species (such as beluga whales, Arctic char, and ringed and bearded seals).

DFO Science will provide advice on the ecological themes identified in the draft monitoring plan developed by the ANMPA Working Group. Ecological monitoring advice will place previously identified indicators, protocols, and strategies (DFO 2015) in the context of recently published scientific and traditional (e.g., Kavik-Axys 2012, McNicholl et al. 2017) knowledge; and other information, and data available for ANMPA and the surrounding ecosystem. In addition, a generalized framework for the process of developing MPA monitoring plans that incorporates both scientific and indigenous knowledge will be reviewed using ANMPA as a case study. The resulting advice will inform the development of a monitoring plan by the ANMPA Working Group. A separate future CSAS review meeting will build on this advice to describe how the resulting plan may be implemented ‘on the ground,’ including the mechanics of data collections, analyses (e.g., strategy, threshold, sensitivity analysis), data management, and reporting.

Objectives

The monitoring plan developed by the ANMPA Working Group will ultimately address multiple themes, however, this request for Science Advice will be focused only on the ecological components. Specifically, the objectives of this CSAS are to:

1. Review a generalized monitoring framework that uses the nearshore ANMPA as a case study to outline a suggested process to consider when developing the generalized ecological aspects of an MPA monitoring program which incorporates both scientific and indigenous knowledge;
2. Identify, review, and summarize existing scientific information/data and published local and traditional ecological knowledge relevant to the area to inform future monitoring plan development (i.e., potential indicators, protocols, and strategies), and to identify key data gaps. The summary will build on past science advice provided for the Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam Area of Interest, providing an update on information that has since been acquired, and expanding the scope of review to include southern portions of the ANMPA, offshore regions that are not within the ANMPA but may be key to consider for meeting conservation objectives, and priorities defined by the ANMPA Working Group.

Expected Publications

• Proceedings
• Science Advisory Report
• Research Document(s)

Expected Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) (Science, Ecosystem Management sectors, and Fisheries Management)
• Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Canadian Wildlife Service
• Academia
• Other invited experts

References

DFO. 2015. Anguniaqvia Niqiqyuam area of interest: monitoring indicators, protocols and strategies. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2015/025.

Kavik-Axys. 2012. Traditional and Local Knowledge Workshop for Paulatuk Area of Interest. Report prepared for Fisheries and Oceans Canada by Kavik-Axys Inc., 123510605. Inuvik, NWT, and Calgary, AB. 46 p.

McNicholl, DG, Wolki, B., and Ostertag, S. 2017. Traditional Ecological Knowledge and local observations of Capelin (Mallotus villosus) in Darnley Bay, NT. Can. Manu. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3144: vi + 20 p.