Terms of Reference

Darnley Bay Area of Interest for Marine Protected Area Designation: Assessment of Stressors, Impacts and Pathways of Effects

Regional Peer Review - Central and Arctic Region

February 6-7, 2013
Winnipeg, MB

Chairperson: Margaret Treble

Context

Canada’s Oceans Act (1997) authorizes Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to provide enhanced management to areas of the oceans and coasts which are ecologically or biologically significant (DFO 2004). Under the Health of the Oceans Initiative, DFO Science sector provides advice in support of the identification and development of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) following the selection of an Area of Interest (AOI). Part of this process includes sound scientific advice to identify and prioritize ecosystem issues and to inform the development of management strategies, action plans, research prioritization and the drafting of the Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement (RIAS).

In late 2010, DFO Science identified and prioritized areas within the Darnley Bay AOI which met the criteria for marine protection under the Oceans Act, provided advice on boundaries for those areas and identified one or more conservation objective for each (DFO 2011). Based on this advice, the Paulatuk AOI Steering Committee decided to include a portion of the Cape Parry Offshore Marine Feeding Habitat priority area within the AOI. The conservation objective developed for this area is:

“to maintain the integrity of the marine environment offshore of the Cape Parry Migratory Bird Sanctuary (MBS) so that it is productive and allows for high trophic level feeding by ensuring that the Cape Parry polynyas and associated sea-ice habitat, and the role of key prey species (e.g., Arctic Cod), are not disrupted by human activities.”

DFO Oceans Program Division has asked, DFO Science to apply a stressor-based approach to identify and prioritize the activities and associated stressors that have the potential to affect valued ecosystem components (VECs) in the Darnley Bay AOI. This will be used to develop and draft the RIAS. A structured approach to assessing the potential risk to ecosystem components from human activities and their associated stressors will be applied based on a framework developed in the Pacific Region (DFO 2012). The framework identifies the key elements of a risk-based assessment framework as:

The identification of the key features or properties of the system (valued ecosystem components or VECs), including species, habitats and community/ecosystem properties;
the identification of the activities and stressors that have the potential to affect these VECs using pathways of effects models (POE); and,
an assessment of the risk of harm to each VEC from each activity and associated stressors using appropriate criteria and scoring methods.

The results will be used to identify which VECs and/or activities and stressors may require enhanced management attention.

Objectives

The intent of the meeting is to complete the scoping phase of the framework for this AOI by identifying human activities (drivers), their associated stressors, and potential pathways of effects on VECs in the AOI and their related uncertainties. The working paper (Pathways of Effect Models for the Anuniaqvia Niqiqyuam Area of Interest by Browne et al.) is the basis for the review. Specific objectives are to review and evaluate for completeness and appropriateness each of the following:

activities (drivers) that may impact the VECs identified in the AOI;
stressors resulting from these activities; and
potential pathways of effects on VECs.

Expected Publications

Science Advisory Report
Proceedings
Research Document

Participation

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) (Ecosystems and Oceans Science, Ecosystems and Fisheries Management sectors)
Environment Canada (Canadian Wildlife Service)
Fisheries Joint Management Committee
Academia
Other invited experts