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Evaluation of a Fisheries Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) for the Mackenzie Gas Pipeline

Regional Peer Review – Central and Arctic Region

November 27-29, 2013
Winnipeg, MB (Teleconference/WebEx)

Chairperson: Kevin Hedges

Context

Increasing northern development will place significant pressure on the Fisheries Protection Program of DFO for regulatory review of development proposals pursuant to the fisheries protection provisions of the Fisheries Act. Large linear developments like the Mackenzie Gas Pipeline will cross many water courses, potentially impacting fish and habitat that supports commercial, recreational or aboriginal fisheries.  DFO’s Fisheries Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) was developed to allow users to prioritize pipeline stream crossings according to the risk of adverse impact, from sedimentation, to fish and fish habitat that support commercial, recreational or aboriginal fisheries. Several consultant reports have been produced which describe the current state of the FRAT and recommendations for future work.  To address a need for transparent, consistent, risk-based assessment tools in the Fisheries Protection Program, Science is proposing to continue development and improvement of the FRAT, ensuring a scientifically rigorous final tool.  A peer review meeting is proposed to assess both the sediment risk and consequences to fish and fish habitat models of the FRAT.  This will bring both river hydrologists/geomorphologists and fisheries scientists together to examine the tool for the purpose of reviewing the current input variables, risk scoring methods and algorithms used to calculate overall risk.

Objectives

The objective of this meeting is to evaluate elements of a risk assessment tool that can help evaluate potential risks to commercial, recreational or aboriginal fisheries and their supporting habitat from sediment resulting from construction and operation of stream crossings, utilizing the Mackenzie Gas Pipeline as the tool development platform. Additional meeting objectives are to:

  1. Recommend changes to risk and fish consequences criteria and specific input variables and algorithms.
  2. Recommend additional elements that could be built into the FRAT in order to strengthen or even expand its capability as an assessment tool.
  3. Examine the applicability of the FRAT approach within a broader context.

Expected Publications

Participation

Notice

Participation to CSAS peer review meetings is by invitation only.

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