Terms of Reference

National Marine Mammal Peer Review Committee (NMMPRC): February 2021 Biannual Meeting

National Advisory Meeting – National Capital Region

February 22-26, 2021
Virtual Meeting

Chairperson: Garry Stenson, Veronique Lesage

Context

The National Marine Mammal Peer Review Committee (NMMPRC) holds at least one annual meeting to conduct scientific peer-review of marine mammal research and provide scientific advice. Meetings provide the opportunity for collaborative review of scientific results by DFO and external marine mammal experts. Following NMMPRC peer-review and approval, scientific results are used to provide sound scientific advice for the management and conservation of marine mammals in Canada.

Topics

Specific Terms of Reference for each topic are as follows:

1. Identification of Areas to Apply Spatial Management Measures to Protect Southern Resident Killer Whales.

Context

Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKWs) are listed as Endangered under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). In May 2018 the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, as the Minister responsible for Parks Canada Agency, formed the opinion that the SRKW population is facing imminent threats to survival and recovery based on their small and declining population size, reproductive biology, population structure, and anthropogenic impacts. In response, annual interim management measures were established to mitigate threats and support the recovery of SRKW.

Information on SRKW distribution, habitat use and their intersection with key threats can further refine our understanding of SRKW critical habitat. It can help address the key threats to SRKW survival and recovery and support area-based spatial management initiatives, hence fulfilling commitments outlined in the Species at Risk Recovery Strategy and Action Plan for Resident Killer Whales. Provision of this advice supports Species at Risk recovery objectives and strategies identified in the Resident Killer Whale Recovery Strategy and Action Plan to “ensure adequate and accessible food supply”, “ensure that disturbance from human activities does not prevent recovery,” and “protect critical habitat”.

Objectives

• Collate and map the habitat use patterns and relative distribution of the SRKW population from May to October for waters within 48° N to 49° N and 123° W to 125.5° W using data from but not limited to DFO survey data (2009-2020) and effort-corrected presence-only sightings data (2009-2018).
• Collate and map the best available data representing the current state of vessel presence and acoustic environment from May to October for waters within 48° N to 49° N and 123° W to 125.5° W.
• Identify areas of co-occurrence of SRKW distribution with vessel presence, vessel speed, and acoustic environment for May to October within 48° N to 49° N and 123° W to 125.5° W and provide higher temporal resolution analyses in areas of high co-occurrence to inform spatial and temporal advice for SRKW threat mitigation.

Expected Publications

• Three Research Documents
• One Science Advisory Report
• Proceedings

2. Threat assessment for northern bottlenose whales off eastern Canada

Context

First considered as a single population by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), northern bottlenose whales (NBW) was split into two in April 1996 to allow for a separate designation of the Scotian Shelf population from that of the more northern Baffin Bay-Davis Strait-Labrador Sea population. The Scotian Shelf population, estimated at approximately 140 individuals, is currently listed as Endangered on Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA). The Baffin Bay-Davis Strait-Labrador Sea population kept the original Not at Risk COSEWIC designation from 1996; it was assessed by COSEWIC as Special Concern in May 2011, and is currently being considered for listing on Schedule 1 under the Species at Risk Act (SARA).

A Recovery Potential Assessment (RPA) is a key document that supports the listing decision process for Species at Risk in Canada. The RPA provides the scientific background, identification of threats and probability of recovery of a species, or population, that is deemed to be at risk.  The RPA informs the development of the SARA Recovery Strategy and Action Plan.  An RPA was completed for the SARA-listed Scotian Shelf population of NBW in 2011. Threats were identified and discussed within, but were not evaluated against a threat assessment framework.  The Recovery Strategy included a threat assessment table that is now more than 10 years out of date.

Objectives

To meet the objectives of Element 8 of the Terms of Reference for RPAs, we will “assess and prioritize the threats to the survival and recovery of the wildlife species".  The RPA guidance document (^{Footnote 1}DFO 2014) will be followed to the extent possible; however, some deviations from the guidance are necessary to account for the characteristics of the Scotian Shelf population, and for NBW in general, to provide a more informative threat assessment.  We will review relevant and updated information on threats to beaked whales in general, and for NBW specifically. Based on available information, the threats assessed will be linked to specific activities whenever feasible. We will assess each threat for the Scotian Shelf NBW population, as well as for NBW in eastern Canadian waters (which includes both the Scotian Shelf and Baffin Bay-Davis Strait-Labrador Sea populations) to provide a broader perspective on threats to this species in Canadian waters.

Expected Publications

• Three Research Documents
• One Science Advisory Report
• Proceedings

Expected Participation

• DFO (Ecosystems and Oceans Science, Species at Risk, Fisheries and Harbour Management sectors)
• Academia or Academics
• Stakeholders
• Other invited experts