Terms of Reference

Identification of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) in the Pacific Offshore Bioregion

Pacific Regional Science Advisory Process

February 11-12, 2015
Nanaimo, British Columbia

Chairperson: Karen Hunter

Context

Under Canada’s Oceans Act (1997), “conservation, based on an ecosystem approach, is of fundamental importance to maintaining biological diversity and productivity in the marine environment”. The Act provides the legislative framework for an integrated ecosystem approach to management in Canada’s oceans, particularly in areas considered ecologically or biologically significant.  DFO has developed guidance for the identification of ecologically or biologically significant areas (EBSA) (DFO 2004), and has endorsed the scientific criteria used by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) for identifying ecologically or biologically significant marine areas as defined in Annex I of Decision IX/20 of its 9th Conference of Parties (UNEP/CBD, 2008).

Identification of EBSAs in the Canadian Pacific Offshore Bioregion could inform a broad range of management and policy issues related to marine use in the Pacific Region.  Specifically, EBSAs identified in the Pacific Offshore Bioregion’s waters will serve as a key component of the knowledge base for: i) development activities and marine use planning; ii) the development of Canada’s network of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) under the Oceans Act; and, iii) facilitating the implementation of DFO’s Sustainable Fisheries Framework under the Fisheries Act. In addition, this information will be valuable to other federal Departments and the Province of British Columbia, who are responsible for the management of marine activities in this region (e.g., resource extraction, marine shipping, ocean dumping, spill response, cable laying, land use planning, etc.).

EBSAs were recently identified in three marine Offshore Bioregions: Northern Shelf, Southern Shelf, and Strait of Georgia (DFO 2012), and reviewed in a Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) regional peer review held in February 2012.  However, potential Pacific Offshore Bioregion EBSAs from the shelf break to the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) boundary were not addressed in the earlier CSAS process. A number of productive and ecologically unique features within this Pacific Offshore Bioregion may meet EBSA criteria defined by DFO, and are contiguous with high seas EBSAs proposed at a Convention on Biological Diversity workshop held in Moscow in March 2013.  The Canadian portion of these EBSAs includes seamounts, hydrothermal vents and other oceanographic features that have not yet been evaluated against EBSA criteria.

DFO Oceans Program has requested that Science Branch provide an evaluation of the areas from the shelf break to the boundary of Canada’s EEZ, including the seafloor and water column, against EBSA criteria used by DFO and the CBD, to provide advice regarding the identification of ecologically and biologically significant areas (EBSAs) in the Pacific Offshore Bioregion. It is not the objective of this advisory process to review the specific methods for identifying ecologically and biological significant areas; these have been reviewed as part of national DFO advisory processes (DFO, 2004; 2011).

This assessment, and advice arising from this Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) Regional Peer Review (RPR), will be used to inform a broad range of management and policy issues related to marine spatial planning in Pacific Region, including the development of MPA

Objectives

The objective of this CSAS Regional Peer Review is to provide advice respecting the identification of ecologically and biologically significant areas (EBSAs) in the Pacific Offshore Bioregion.

The following working paper will be reviewed and provide the basis for discussion and advice for two objectives:

Ban, S., Curtis, J.M.R., St. Germain, C., Therriault, T. Perry, R.I.  Identification of ecologically and biologically significant areas in the Pacific Offshore Bioregion. CSAP Working Paper 2013/OCN05.

1. Provide evidence and justification indicating which areas or features in the Pacific Offshore Bioregion from the shelf break to Canada’s EEZ, including the seafloor and water column, meet EBSA criteria, using the best available information and the criteria defined by DFO (DFO, 2004) and the CBD.
2. For the Pacific Offshore Bioregion areas or features identified in Objective 1: propose EBSA boundaries (including maps), and indicate the level of confidence associated with the delineation of identified EBSAs, including sources of uncertainty.

Expected Publications

• CSAS Science Advisory Report (1)
• CSAS Research Documents (1)
• CSAS Proceedings (1)

Participation

• DFO Science Branch
• DFO Fisheries Management Branch
• DFO Ecosystem Management Branch
• Province of BC
• Commercial and recreational fishing interests
• First Nations
• Non-government organizations
• Academia

References Cited

DFO. 2013. Evaluation of proposed ecologically and biologically significant areas in marine waters of British Columbia. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2012/075.

DFO. 2011. Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas – Lessons Learned. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2011/049.

DFO. 2004. Identification of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Ecosystem Status Rep. 2004/006.

UNEP/CBD. 2014. Report of the North Pacific Regional Workshop to facilitate the description of ecologically or biologically significant areas. UNEP/CBD/RW/EBSA/NP/1/4. 187p.

UNEP/CBD. 2008. Decision adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at its Ninth Meeting IX/20. Marine and coastal biodiversity COP/DEC/IX/20. 12p.