Research Document - 2014/100

Identification of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas in the Strait of Georgia and off the West Coast of Vancouver Island: Phase I – Identification of Important Areas

By Chantal Levesque and Glen S. Jamieson

Abstract

This report details the first phase of the identification process of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) for the two southernmost inshore BC ecoregions, namely the Strait of Georgia (SoG) and off the west coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI). This phase is the description of regional Important Areas (IAs), which are used in the second phase, i.e., the determination of EBSAs. Both phases have been previously described for the northernmost inshore BC ecoregion, the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA), but some additions to these documents are provided in the document presenting the second phase of this process: Designation of EBSAs.

EBSAs are areas worthy of enhanced management or risk aversion.  An area is identified as an EBSA if it ranks highly on one or more of three dimensions (Uniqueness, Aggregation and Fitness Consequences), and can be weighted by two other dimensions (Naturalness and Resilience), agreed upon at a national Fisheries and Oceans Canada workshop.  Regional scientific experts were surveyed to identify IAs of the SoG and WCVI that met the criteria using a modified Delphic process. Thematic layers produced included species of fish, invertebrates, marine mammals, reptiles and oceanographic features. Experts were also asked to provide rankings of the IAs identified for each species for each of the five EBSA criteria.  The final list of species’ IAs is identified in 50 thematic layers on the WCVI and 29 layers in the SoG.  This report describes how these IAs were identified, discusses issues around the EBSA identification process, and includes maps displaying each individual thematic layer.

When taken together the entire group of species’ IAs cover almost the whole area of each of the above ecoregions. This indicates that when viewed at a high level, all areas are likely important in some way for at least one species, species group or habitat feature.

Complete document (PDF, 2,571 KB)

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