Terms of Reference

Net Impacts of the Construction of Wharves and Breakwaters on Fish and Fish Habitat in Newfoundland Waters

Regional Peer Review - Newfoundland and Labrador Region

June 12-14, 2024

St. John’s, NL

Chairpersons: Margaret Warren and Nadine Wells

Context

Marine coastal zones are among the most ecologically productive ecosystems in the world. Their various habitats support rich assemblages of aquatic life and many economically significant fisheries species which depend upon these habitats to grow and reproduce.

For the ten year period 2007–17, a team of researchers in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada (DFO) Science Branch, investigated fish population-habitat linkages specific to coastal marine wharf and breakwater projects in the Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Region. The study was conducted in collaboration with DFO Small Craft Harbours Branch (SCH) and the DFO Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program (FFHPP).

The construction of coastal infrastructure e.g., wharves, breakwaters (henceforth, termed “projects”) – by SCH, and other proponents, enable public and industry access to marine fisheries resources, shipping lanes, marine safety features and protect industrial and personal property onshore. These projects may result in impacts to fish and fish habitat (equivalent to the footprint of the project on the seabed). However, some impacts can be mitigated through construction techniques and materials. For example, appropriately sized rocky materials) are known to increase the availability of fish habitat for certain species and may reduce negative impacts to fish habitat. The benefits and impacts of those techniques have traditionally been challenging to quantify; as standard approaches don’t exist.

In the past fifteen years, DFO Science has developed comprehensive analytical tools to help managers evaluate habitat losses and gains for such projects in a scientifically defensible manner. Impacts of such construction projects, and their long term effects when evaluated in isolation, may result in expensive compensation solutions to offset unmitigated habitat loss; especially if concurrent gains are not also evaluated. Therefore, analytical methods were necessary in order to make effective habitat mitigation and compensation decisions.

The research team used a Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) empirical design in a comprehensive plan incorporating wharf-breakwater construction and control sites to quantify the habitat and fish productivity impacts or benefits of such projects. The goals of the study were to empirically quantify changes in habitat, fish, and epibenthic macroinvertebrate species associated with wharves and breakwater construction and to provide scientifically defensible methods and analytical tools necessary to evaluate the net impact or benefits of individual projects on fish habitat.

This CSAS process will evaluate the outputs of the project and the scientific tools developed to aid FFHPP, SCH, and other proponents during the planning and design of coastal marine wharf and breakwater projects.

Objectives

• Evaluate the outputs of the ten-year project, to assessment of impacts to finfish and epibenthic macroinvertebrate species and their habitats before and after construction of wharves and breakwaters;
• Evaluate the tools developed to aid FFHPP and SCH during the assessment of project net gains and losses of wharf and breakwater construction projects in the marine coastal zone of NL Region; and
• To provide advice on mitigations (e.g., construction designs) and fish habitat offsetting measures for coastal marine wharf and breakwater projects.

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report
• Research Document

Expected Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada
• Academia
• Industry
• Indigenous Groups
• Provincial Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
• Non-government organizations

References

• Dalley, K.L., Gregory, R.S., Morris, C.J., and Cote, D. 2017. Seabed habitat determines fish community associations in a subarctic marine coastal nursery. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc. 146:1115–1125.
• Han, V., Morris, C.J., Gregory, R.S., Porter, D., and Sargent, D. 2019. Incidence of plastic and other marine debris on the seabed, disposed in rural coastal harbours. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish Aquat. Sci. 3304.
• King, C.J., Gregory, R.S., Morris, C.J., Sargent, P.S., and Porter, D. 2022. Cumulative effects of long-term anthropogenic impacts on resident fish communities in subarctic fishing harbours. Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci. 277:108084.
• Morris, C., Sargent, P., Porter, D., Gregory, R., Drover, D., Matheson, K., Maddigan, T., Holloway, C., and Sheppard, L. 2016. Garbage in Newfoundland harbours. J. Ocean Tech. 11(2):18–26.
• Murphy, G.E.P., Dunic, J.C., Adamczyk, E.M., Bittick, S.J., Côté, I.M., Cristiani, J., Geissinger, E.A., Gregory, R.S., Lotze, H.K., O’Connor, M.I., Araújo, C.A.S., Rubidge, E.M., Templeman, N.D., and Wong, M.C. 2021. From coast to coast to coast: Ecology and management of seagrass ecosystems across Canada. FACETS. 6:139–179.