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Coral & Sponge Conservation Strategy for Eastern Canada 2015

Coral & Sponge Conservation Strategy for Eastern Canada 2015

Coral & Sponge Conservation Strategy for Eastern Canada 2015 (PDF, 3.30 MB)

Table of Contents

Status of Coral and Sponge Conservation in Eastern Canada

In Canada, DFO is the lead department responsible for research and conservation of coral and sponge species, but these species have also become a focal point for international conservation. In some cases, conservation measures have been put in place to protect these important coral and sponge areas where they have been identified in eastern Canada. Existing coral and sponge conservation areas are described below, ranging from international NAFO closures, federal government closed areas, and voluntary industry-driven closures.

NAFO Closures

In 2006, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed the Sustainable Fisheries Resolution 61/105, calling on states and Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) to take action to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) in the high seas (UN 2006). In response, NAFO has enacted several measures to protect corals and sponges which include coral and sponge closures, as well as seamount closures (Table 3). Deep-sea corals and their associated fauna can be considered straddling resources as their distributions extend both inside and outside Canada’s 200 mile limit.

This four column table provides information on the NAFO closures shown in Figure 3 below. The information includes Management Measures in column 1 and the corresponding Location, Feature and Area (km2) in columns 2 through 4 respectively.

Table 3: NAFO closures
Management Measures Location Feature Area (km2)
Closed to All Bottom Impacting Gear Coral Protection Zone in Division 3O Coral and Sponge 14,040
Closed to All Bottom Impacting Gear Adjacent to Flemish Cap Coral and Sponge 10,488
Restrictions on Bottom Impacting Gear Orphan Knoll Isolated topographic high 15,780
Restrictions on Bottom Impacting Gear Newfoundland Seamounts Seamount 15,410
Restrictions on Bottom Impacting Gear Fogo Seamounts Seamount 9,141
Restrictions on Bottom Impacting Gear *New England Seamounts Seamount 276,035
Restrictions on Bottom Impacting Gear *Corner Seamounts Seamount 40,241

*New England Seamounts and Corner Seamounts are within NAFO Regulatory Area but not within the scope of this Strategy.

Figure 3: NAFO coral and sponge closures

Figure 3: NAFO coral and sponge closures*
*New England Seamounts and Corner Seamounts are within NAFO Regulatory Area but not within the scope of this Strategy.

This map of Atlantic Canada’s provinces, continental shelf and deep offshore waters, shows the location of the closures described in Table 3 above. The five seamount closures are large square or rectangular areas in deep water outside the continental shelf. Coral and Sponges closure areas are irregular in shape with the 3O closure located along the southwest edge and slope of the continental shelf, and a series of smaller closures located along the Flemish Cap and Southeastern Grand Banks.

DFO Closures

Management tools available to DFO to conserve and protect sensitive benthic areas, including coral and sponge communities, vary from fisheries gear / effort / temporal restrictions and fisheries closures, to MPAs(Table 4, Figures 4 and 5).

This table provides information on the DFO closures shown on Figures 4 and 5 below. The three columns list Management Measures, Location, and Area (km2).

Table 4: DFO closed areas related to coral and sponge conservation
Management Measures Location Area (km2)
Restrictions to Bottom Impacting Gear Northeast Channel Coral Conservation Area 424
Restrictions to Bottom Impacting Gear Lophelia Coral Conservation Area (The Stone Fence) 15
Restrictions to Bottom Impacting Gear Gully Marine Protected Area 2,364
Restrictions to Bottom Impacting Gear The Emerald Basin Vazella Closure 197
Restrictions to Bottom Impacting Gear Sambro Bank Vazella Closure 62
Restrictions to Bottom Impacting Gear -  Greenland Halibut Fishery Division 0A Narwhal Overwintering and Coldwater Coral Zone 11,634
Figure 4: Fisheries and Oceans Canada closed areas (Newfoundland and Labrador, Maritimes, Gulf and Quebec)

Figure 4: Fisheries and Oceans Canada closed areas (Newfoundland and Labrador, Maritimes, Gulf and Quebec)

This map of the southern portion of the area covered by this Strategy, shows the locations of the coral and sponge conservation areas described in Table 4 above and the five Marine Protected Areas: “Musquash Estuary MPA” in the Bay of Fundy, “Basin Head MPA” on the eastern coast of PEI, “The Gully MPA” along the southern edge of the Scotian Shelf, “Eastport MPA” in Bonavista Bay on Newfoundland’s NE Coast, and” Gilbert Bay” on the Southeast coast of Labrador.

Figure 5: Fisheries and Oceans Canada closed areas (Central and Arctic)

Figure 5: Fisheries and Oceans Canada closed areas (Central and Arctic)

This map of the northern portion of the area covered by this strategy shows the location of the Narwhal Coral Closure, described in Table 4 above, as a large rectangular area in Davis Strait between Baffin Island and Greenland.

Industry-driven Closures

The Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC) is a non-profit trade association representing companies engaged in the growing, harvesting, processing, and marketing of fish and seafood. FCC membership includes the Canadian Association of Prawn Producers, GEAC and the Northern Coalition who have been active in addressing concerns regarding fishing impacts on sensitive areas including corals and sponges. The growing conservation awareness of the fishing industry has resulted in cooperative efforts to improve harvesting technologies and practices in Canada (Campbell and Simms 2009).

Other National Proposed Closures

Within the Government of Canada, there are other national programs and marine conservation tools which have the potential to contribute to the conservation of coral and sponge communities. DFO, PC and EC each have specific but complementary mandates for protecting oceans and their living resources, and establishing MPAs. For example, in 2005 the Ministers of these federal agencies released Canada’s Federal Marine Protected Areas Strategy, which outlines how their respective MPA programs ‒ PC’s NMCAs, EC’s National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries ‒ can collectively contribute to a network. The Coral and Sponge Conservation Strategy for Eastern Canada will encourage federal agencies to have a more comprehensive approach to coral and sponge conservation through increased coordination of management and research efforts.

Designation of the following areas is under active investigation (Table 5).

Figure 6: Industry-driven closure for coral and sponges

Figure 6: Industry-driven closure for coral and sponges

This map of the northern portion of the area covered by this strategy shows the location of the fishing industry voluntary closure described above which is located in the North Labrador Sea.

This four column table provides information on the proposed protected areas and potential management measures contributing to coral and sponge conservation shown in Figures 7 and 8 below. Listed are the Organization, Location, Area (km2) and Potential Management Measures.

Table 5: Proposed protected areas and potential management measures contributing to coral and sponge conservation
Organization Location Area (km2) Potential Management Measures
DFO Laurentian Channel  ~12,000 Zones proposed with no oil and gas  activity and no commercial fishing.
DFO St. Anns Bank  ~5,100 Zones proposed with no oil and gas activity and no commercial fishing.
Gov of Quebec, PC Iles-de-la-Madeleine  ~17,000 Restrictions to ocean dumping, undersea mining, oil and gas exploration and development, commercial fisheries.
PC Lancaster Sound  ~44,000 Prohibitions on undersea mining, oil and gas exploration and development and ocean dumping. Restrictions to commercial fisheries.
Figure 7: Proposed MPAs in Atlantic Canada (exact boundaries to be determined)

Figure 7: Proposed MPAs in Atlantic Canada (exact boundaries to be determined)

This map of the southern portion of the area covered by this strategy shows the location of the two protected areas proposed by DFO which are described in Table 5 above. The Laurentian Channel Area of Interest is south of Newfoundland along the east side of the Laurentian Channel, and St. Ann’s Bank Area of Interest is located on the west side of the Laurentian Channel, southeast of Nova Scotia.

Figure 8: Proposed National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) in Lancaster Sound

Figure 8: Proposed National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) in Lancaster Sound

This map of the northern portion of the area covered by this strategy shows the location of the Lancaster Sound protected area proposed by Parks Canada, and described in Table 5 above. This area extends from the northeast coast of Baffin Island, coastal area of Bylot Island and north to the south coast of Devon Island.

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