Terms of Reference

National Risk Assessment of Recreational Boating as a Vector for Aquatic Invasive Species

National Peer Review – National Capital Region

8-11 December 2015
Montreal, QC

Chairperson: Gilles Olivier

Context

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) pose a significant threat to Canadian fresh, estuarine and marine waters. An important vector for the introduction and spread of AIS into and throughout these waters is recreational boating. This meeting is being held to address a request for science advice from the National Aquatic Invasive Species Committee, a federal-provincial-territorial committee that reports to the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers, to assess the risk that the recreational boating vector poses to both freshwater and marine systems in Canada with respect to the introduction and spread of AIS. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has held many species-based risk assessment meetings and a few pathway-based risk assessment meetings (DFO 2012a, DFO 2012b, DFO 2014a). This meeting will assess, for the first time, the risk posed by recreational boating as a vector for AIS in both freshwater and marine systems in Canada and will contribute to the overall body of knowledge of AIS pathways and vectors of concern in Canada. Advice generated from this meeting can be used to inform targeted research, the locations and methodology for boater-specific monitoring activities, communication efforts focused towards high-risk users, potential policy/regulatory changes, and the overall management of this vector.

The marine portion of this risk assessment will address risk for the west and east coasts of Canada. Research was conducted on vessel type, maintenance, pathways, transit and mooring days and AIS transfer potential to determine this risk. The freshwater portion of this risk assessment will address the ecological risk in the Great Lakes Basin, with applicability to other large inland lake systems in Canada that support recreational boating activity (e.g., Lake Winnipeg). Research was conducted on the contamination of freshwater vessels with AIS, the spatiotemporal dynamics of vessel transits in the Great Lakes Basin, and the overall probability of spread in the basin as a result of boating activity. The freshwater component will also summarize and assess the current state of knowledge of recreational boating as a vector for AIS, drawing from Canadian and U.S. literature, with applicability for overland lake-to-lake AIS transfers in Canada.

Objectives

The overarching goal of this meeting is to collect and provide scientific advice on the risk that recreational boating, as a vector for the introduction and spread of AIS, poses to Canadian fresh and marine waters.
To accomplish this, three working papers will be peer reviewed at this meeting to ensure they provide adequate and scientifically defensible information on:

1) The risk posed by recreational boating in Canadian marine waters on both the east and west coasts.

• Characterization of movement patterns of recreational boats in marine waters within and between ecoregions.
• Estimate potential risk to marine ecoregions considering vessel characteristics, their movements, environmental similarity, and AIS sources.

2) The ecological risk posed by recreational boating in the Great Lakes Basin.

• Quantify the characteristics of AIS spread by recreational boats within and among the Great Lakes proper, including an assessment of the relative probabilities of spread and establishment among different ports/marinas supporting boating activity.
• Highlight, wherever possible, how results are applicable elsewhere in Canada.

3) The current state of knowledge about the ecological risk posed by recreational boating as a vector of overland AIS movement between inland lakes in Canada.

• Examination of risk based on a summary and meta-analysis of Canadian and U.S. literature pertaining to the overland movement of recreational boats to and from freshwater lakes in North America, highlighting how results are applicable to Canada.

Working papers to be reviewed (due November 13, 2015)

• WP 1: R. Bernier, C. Clarke Murray, A. Lacoursière-Roussel, J. Martin, C. McKenzie, C. McKindsey, M. Pelletier-Rousseau, D. Sephton, N. Simard, T. Therriault; Marine recreational boating risk assessment.
• WP 2: A. Drake, S. Bailey, and N. Mandrak; Risk assessment of recreational boating activity in the Great Lakes Basin as a pathway for the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species.
• WP 3: A. Drake; A review of the overland spread of aquatic invasive species in North America as a result of recreational boating, with emphasis on Canadian ecosystems.

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report
• Proceedings Document
• 3 Research Documents

Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada: Ecosystems and Oceans Science and Ecosystem and Fisheries Management Sectors
• Experts from provincial government departments and non-governmental organizations
• Academics

References

Bailey, S.A., Chan, F., Ellis, S.M., Bronnenhuber, J.E., Bradie, J.N. and Simard, N. 2012. Risk assessment for ship-mediated introductions of aquatic nonindigenous species to the Great Lakes and freshwater St. Lawrence River. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc.2011/104. vi + 224 p.

Casas-Monroy, O., Linley, R.D., Adams, J.K., Chan, F.T., Drake, D.A.R., and Bailey, S.A. 2014. National Risk Assessment for Introduction of Aquatic Nonindigenous Species to Canada by Ballast Water. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc.2013/128. vi + 73 p.

Casas-Monroy, O., R. D. Linley, J. K. Adams, F. T. Chan, D.A.R. Drake, and S.A. Bailey. 2015. Invasion risk for plankton across marine and freshwater systems: examining efficacy of proposed international ballast water management.  PLOS ONE 10(3):e0118267. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0118267

Chan, F.T., Bronnenhuber, J.E., Bradie, J.N., Howland, K., Simard, N. and Bailey, S.A. 2012. Risk assessment for ship-mediated introductions of aquatic nonindigenous species to the Canadian Arctic. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc.2011/105. vi + 93 p.

Clarke Murray, C., E.A. Pakhomov, and T.W. Therriault. 2011.  Recreational boating: a large unregulated vector transporting marine invasive species. Diversity and Distributions 17: 1161-1172.
Clarke Murray, C., H. Gartner, E. Gregr, K. Chan, E.A. Pakhomov, and T.W. Therriault. (2014) Spatial distribution of marine invasive species implicates the recreational boating pathway. Diversity and Distributions 20: 824-836.

Clarke Murray, C., T.W. Therriault, and E.A. Pakhomov. What lies beneath? An evaluation of rapid assessment tools for management of hull fouling. Environmental Management (in press; online May 2013).

Clarke Murray, C., T.W. Therriault, and P.T. Martone. 2012. Adapted for invasion? Comparing attachment, drag and dislodgment of native and nonindigenous hull fouling species. Biological Invasions 14: 1651-1663.

DFO. 2012a. Science advice from the risk assessment for ship-mediated introductions of aquatic nonindigenous species to the Great Lakes and freshwater St. Lawrence River. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2011/066.

DFO. 2012b. Science advice from the risk assessment for ship-mediated introductions of aquatic nonindigenous species to the Canadian Arctic. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2011/067.

DFO. 2012c. Proceedings of the CSAS peer-review of the risk assessment for ship-mediated introductions of aquatic nonindigenous species to the Great Lakes and the Canadian Arctic; March 1-2, 2011. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Proceed. Ser. 2011/056.

DFO. 2014a. Science Advice from the National Risk Assessment for Ballast Water Introductions of Aquatic Nonindigenous Species to Canada. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2013/064

DFO. 2014b. Proceedings of the National Peer Review on the Risk Assessment for ship-mediated introductions of aquatic nonindigenous species to Canada (Part 1 and 2); March 25-27, 2013 (Part 1) and June 19-21, 2013 (Part 2). DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Proceed. Ser. 2014/017.

Drake, D.A.R., and N.E. Mandrak. 2010. Least-cost transportation networks predict spatial interaction of invasion vectors. Ecological Applications 20:2286-2299.

Drake, D.A.R., and N.E. Mandrak. 2014.  Bycatch, bait, anglers, and roads: quantifying vector activity and propagule introduction risk across lake ecosystems. Ecological Applications 24:877-894.

Drake, D.A.R., O. Casas-Monroy, M.A. Koops, and S.A. Bailey. 2015.  Propagule pressure in the presence of uncertainty: extending the utility of proxy variables with hierarchical models.  Methods in Ecology and Evolution. DOI: 10.1111/2041-210X.12429 .

Frey, M.A., N. Simard, D.D. Robichaud, J.L. Martin, and T.W. Therriault. (2014) The risk of fouling around: sea-chests as a vector for the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species. Management of Biological Invasions 5: 21-30

Lacoursière-Roussel, A., Forrest, B.M., Guichard, F., Piola, R.F., and McKindsey, C.W. 2012. Modeling biofouling from boat and source characteritics: a comparative study between Canada and New Zealand. Biol. Invasions 14: 2301-2314.

Sylvester, F., O. Kalaci, B. Leung, A. Lacoursière-Roussel, C. Clarke Murray, F.M. Choi, M.A. Bravo, T.W. Therriault, and H.J. MacIsaac. 2011.  Invasion vectors: can simple models explain a complex problem? Journal of Applied Ecology 48: 415-423.