Terms of Reference

Science Advice on Timing of the Mandatory Slow-Down Zone for Shipping Traffic in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Protect North Atlantic Right Whale

Zonal Science Response Process – Atlantic Region

November 2017
Teleconference

Chairperson: Garry Stenson

Context

In Canada, the North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW) is listed as Endangered under Schedule I of the Species at Risk Act, resulting in legal protection of the species and mandatory recovery planning. The North Atlantic Right Whale ranges from Florida to Greenland, although there is not one circumscribed area within their range where all NARW are present at one time. There has been a high NARW presence in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL) in 2017, with 117 individuals, or approximately 25% of the population, identified in the GSL this season.

In response to the deaths of twelve North Atlantic Right Whales in the GSL between June-September 2017, the Government of Canada implemented a voluntary speed restriction for vessels greater than 20 m [65 feet] on 10 July 2017 and a mandatory slow-down zone in the GSL on 11 August 2017. The speed restriction zone is between the following coordinates: 47 10 N 62 00 W; 47 10 N 65 00 W; 50 20 N 65 00 W; 50 20 N 62 00 W and all vessels are requested to reduce speed below 10 knots.  Necropsies later confirmed that several of these mortalities resulted from trauma caused by vessel collisions, as well as entanglement in fishing gear (Daoust et al. 2017).

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science has been asked to provide guidance to Transport Canada (TC) and DFO on the timing of the Notice to Shipping (NOTSHIP) restriction zone. Given the short timeline for response, DFO’s Science Response Process is being used to deliver the advice. A more thorough advisory process will be needed to develop criteria for adjustments to mitigation measures (e.g., boundaries of speed restriction zone for NARW protection) going forward.

Objective

The purpose of this review is to provide advice to TC and DFO, using the best available information, to address the follow questions:

• When are North Atlantic Right Whales expected to leave the mandatory slow-down zone in 2017, and how will we know when they have moved?
• When are North Atlantic Right Whales expected to leave the broader Gulf of St. Lawrence and Cabot Strait area in 2017, and how will we know that they have gone?
• What is known about when North Atlantic Right Whales will return to the mandatory slow-down zone in 2018, and in what numbers?
• What is known about when North Atlantic Right Whales will return to the broader Cabot Strait and Gulf of St Lawrence area in 2018?

Expected Publication

• Science Response

Expected Participation

• DFO Science
• DFO Species at Risk Management Division
• DFO Fisheries & Aquaculture Management
• Transport Canada
• Technical expert reviewers

References

Daoust, P.-Y., Couture, E.L., Wimmer, T., and Bourque, L. 2017. Incident Report: North Atlantic Right Whale Mortality Event in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 2017.  Collaborative Report Produced by: Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Marine Animal Response Society, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. 224 pp.