Terms of Reference

Review of an Alternate Precautionary Approach Framework for Snow Crab in the Newfoundland and Labrador Region

Regional Peer Review – Newfoundland and Labrador Region

September 24-25, 2020
Virtual meeting

Chairperson: Tana Worcester

Context

The Precautionary Approach (PA) is a general philosophy to managing threats of serious or irreversible harm where there is scientific uncertainty. The application of precaution requires increased risk avoidance where there are risks of serious harm and high uncertainty to aquatic resources. These conditions often apply in fisheries; therefore precaution should be incorporated in fisheries management.

Canada is committed domestically and internationally to the use of PA in fishery decision-making. Over the last few years, there have been several initiatives in Canada to define the PA in context of exploited fisheries resources, to identify benchmarks that would be consistent with the approach and to apply it in fisheries management. The fundamental principles guiding this approach have been outlined in two key documents produced by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO):

1. The 2006 Science Advisory Report that identifies the minimal requirements for harvesting strategies to be compliant with the PA (DFO 2006); and
2. The 2009 Decision-Making Framework Incorporating the Precautionary Approach (DFO 2009) - a policy document to guide the incorporation of PA principles in the management of Canadian fisheries.

To be compliant with the PA, fisheries management plans should include harvest strategies that incorporate a science-based Limit Reference Point (LRP) along with an Upper Stock Reference (USR), reflecting stock status, and removal reference points to guide harvest rates. It is expected that the management decisions should respect the indicated actions in each of the stock status zones (i.e., Healthy, Cautious, and Critical) in relation to these points.

A ‘PA framework’ combines the philosophy of precaution in resource management with identified prescriptive measures for stock health and explicit actions for stock management dependent upon stock status. At present in DFO managed fisheries resources, PA frameworks are applied at an individual stock level. Once implemented, DFO will use the PA Framework for NL Snow Crab to maintain/revise current management approaches and to inform its decisions, including with an intended element of robust and testable harvest control rules. Advice will be shared with fish harvester committees, processors, Indigenous organizations, and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to make informed recommendations on the Total Allowable Catch and related fisheries management measures.

Following the peer-review and approval of the decision-making PA Framework for Snow Crab in the Newfoundland and Labrador Region developed by DFO Science in June 2018 (DFO 2019; Mullowney et al. 2018), the Fish and Food Allied Workers Union (FFAW) developed an alternate/revised framework. It has been suggested that the adoption and application of this revised framework will facilitate agreement on annual management decisions.

The September 2020 CSAS process will review the alternate framework developed by the FFAW and determine if it can be used entirely or in part to better inform the Department in terms of a way forward prior to implementing a PA Framework for the management of the Snow Crab resource. The peer review meeting will determine if the alternate FFAW framework:

1. meets the requirements of the DFO PA Framework Policy;
2. uses the best available scientific information; and
3. provides a scientifically defensible alternative approach.

Objectives

The key objectives of this meeting are to review the proposed FFAW’s framework for the Newfoundland and Labrador Snow Crab stock.
Specifically, the following objectives have been set:

• Review sources of data used in the proposed PA.
• Review reference point methodologies and proposed approaches for the identification of reference points within the context of the following questions:
• Does the alternate framework use the best available scientific information?
• Does the alternate framework use a biological basis for assessment of the resource?
• Does the alternate framework enable real-time sustainable management of the resource?
• Does the alternate framework meet the requirements of the current DFO PA Framework Policy?
• Does the alternate framework fit within constraints of the Fisheries Act and strategic directions of the Department?

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report
• Proceedings
• Research Document

Expected Participation

Consistent with the participation guidelines for Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) processes, attendance is by invitation only.
To contribute materials and analyses and to assist in the framework review, participation is expected from:

• DFO Science and Resource Management Branches
• Department of Fisheries and Land Resources
• Fishing Industry
• Indigenous Groups
• Academia
• Other experts as deemed necessary

References

DFO. 2006. A Harvest Strategy Compliant with the Precautionary Approach. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2006/023.

DFO. 2009. A Fishery Decision-Making Framework Incorporating the Precautionary Approach.

DFO. 2019. Proceedings of the Regional Peer Review for Development of a Precautionary Approach Framework for Snow Crab in the Newfoundland and Labrador Region; June 6-7, 2018. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Proceed. Ser. 2019/016.

Mullowney, D., Baker, K., Pedersen, E., and Osborne, D. 2018. Basis for A Precautionary Approach and Decision Making Framework for the Newfoundland and Labrador Snow Crab (Chionoecetes opilio) Fishery. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2018/054. iv + 66 p.

Suggested Additional Reading

Cox, S.P., and Kronlund, A.R. 2008. Practical stakeholder-driven harvest policies for groundfish fisheries in British Columbia Canada. Fish. Res. 94: 224-237.

DFO. 2020. Assessment of Newfoundland and Labrador Snow Crab. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2020/in press.