Terms of Reference

Recommendations on the design of a Multispecies Benthic Marine Invertebrate Dive Survey Program for Stock Monitoring

Regional Peer Review – Pacific Region

July 13-14, 2022
Virtual Meeting

Chairperson: Mary Thiess

Context

Stock assessment dive surveys for benthic marine invertebrates (Northern Abalone, Green and Red Sea Urchins, Giant Red Sea Cucumbers and Geoducks) in British Columbia (BC) have historically been conducted as single-species surveys that estimate density and/or biomass in different portions of the BC coast in different years. The data collected through these surveys have been used to set quotas for their respective commercial fisheries and are generally not suitable for stock status monitoring. Although the Northern Abalone fisheries were closed in 1990 and listed as an endangered species under the Species At Risk Act in 2009, population monitoring surveys are ongoing as part of their recovery strategy.

Since 2016, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science has been working to develop a multispecies monitoring program to determine stock status of benthic marine invertebrates to ensure dive fisheries are compliant with the Department’s Precautionary Approach Policy (DFO 2009), including the legislated requirements of the amended Fisheries Act (RSC 1985, c. F-14), and specifically, the regulations pertaining to the Fish Stocks Provisions. This new multispecies monitoring program is intended to provide fishery-independent, quantitative monitoring of stock abundance over time, in fished and unfished regions of the BC coast. The multispecies dive survey program will monitor abundance of Red, Green and Purple Sea Urchins, Giant Red Sea Cucumber, Northern Abalone, Sunflower Star, and likely only presence/absence of Geoducks given that the timing of the multispecies survey (generally September) is not an optimal time for assessing Geoduck abundance. This new monitoring approach is intended to enable DFO Science to determine stock status in relation to reference points for key benthic marine invertebrate stocks. The data collected is also expected to facilitate the incorporation of ecosystem considerations in Fisheries Management decision making.

To support the design and implementation of the new monitoring program, multispecies benthic invertebrate pilot surveys have been conducted on north and south eastern Vancouver Island, the mainland North Coast, south east Haida Gwaii and the west coast of Vancouver Island from 2016-2021. There is now sufficient data to inform optimal survey design to meet multispecies monitoring program objectives over the longer term.

DFO Science has requested that Science Branch review and provide recommendations on optimal survey design for the multispecies benthic invertebrate monitoring program to ensure the surveys collect the data necessary to meet program objectives. DFO Science will summarize invertebrate abundance estimates, including associated estimates of variability, by species and region. This process is not intended to formally assess stock status at this time. The advice arising from this Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) Regional Peer Review (RPR) will be used to inform the ongoing implementation and development of the multispecies benthic invertebrate monitoring program and to align management of the benthic invertebrate fisheries with the legislated requirements of the Fish Stocks Provisions.

Objectives

The following working paper will be reviewed and provide the basis for discussion and advice on the specific objectives outlined below.

Lochead, J., Schwarz, C., Rooper, C., and D. Bureau. Recommendations on the design of a Multispecies Benthic Marine Invertebrate Dive Survey Program for Stock Monitoring. CSAP Working Paper 2019SCI08.

The specific objectives of this review are to:

1. Describe the methods used to collect multispecies benthic invertebrate dive data during the 2016-2021 pilot studies.
2. Summarize benthic marine invertebrate abundance and its variability by species and region for the 2016-2021 pilot surveys for Red, Green and Purple Sea Urchins, Giant Red Sea Cucumber, Geoduck, Northern Abalone, and Sunflower Star. Note any gaps or uncertainties arising from the design and/or implementation of the pilot studies.
3. Make recommendations on optimal survey design considerations such as survey effort (number of transects), survey frequency, distribution of survey effort (random, index sites, panel design), etc.
4. Make recommendations on types of environmental data that would inform relevant survey stratification and/or strengthen the interpretation of the species abundance results (e.g. Sea Otter, Enhydra lutris, presence/absence, occupancy time, fetch, etc.)
5. Identify knowledge gaps and key uncertainties that could be addressed to further improve the survey design.

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report
• Proceedings
• Research Document

Expected Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) (Ecosystems and Oceans Science, and Ecosystems and Fisheries Management sectors)
• Parks Canada
• First Nations
• Pacific Sea Cucumber Harvesters Association
• Pacific Urchin Harvesters Association
• Underwater Harvesters Association

References

• DFO. 2009.A Fishery Decision-Making Framework Incorporating the Precautionary Approach.