Terms of Reference

Science advice on operational guidance on functional monitoring: Surrogate metrics of fish productivity to assess the effectiveness of mitigation and offsetting measures

National Peer Review - National Capital Region

February 26-28, 2018
Ottawa, Ontario

Chairpersons: Karen Smokorowski and Bronwyn Keatley

Context

In December 2011 DFO held a science advisory process to examine the feasibility of designing a standardized monitoring approach to determine the effectiveness of habitat compensation (or offsetting) activities in achieving ‘No Net Loss of the productive capacity of fish habitat’ as was the policy at that time. The Science Advisory Report (SAR) produced from this workshop is available online (henceforth referred to as the 2012 SAR).  The 2012 amendments to the Fisheries Act required the focus of monitoring programs for offsetting activities be adjusted according to the new Fisheries Protection Provisions. Three hierarchical levels of monitoring were briefly described (compliance, functional, and effectivenessmonitoring) but the focus of the 2012 CSAS process was on effectiveness monitoring, applicable to projects with offsetting measures that warrant detailed monitoring. The technical report (Smokorowski et al. 2015) produced following the 2012 SAR focused on developing the design and metrics for comprehensive effectiveness monitoring.

In contrast, proponents of some projects that may require a Fisheries Act authorization, or proponents that receive a letter for project-specific advice may not be required to undertake long term, detailed effectiveness monitoring.  DFO’s Fisheries Protection Program (FPP), however remains interested in understanding the outcomes of a subset of these projects. In the 2012 SAR, functional monitoring was briefly described as a scaled-down assessment of habitat offsetting effectiveness, using quantitative techniques but relying on surrogate information to assess changes in fisheries productivity (e.g., change in macrophyte density or amount of a substrate type) but further science guidance is needed on its application. The objective of this science advisory process is to provide FPP staff with advice on standardized monitoring design and metrics appropriate for undertaking scaled-down monitoring which could utilize surrogate(s) of fisheries productivity in marine and freshwater environments, and for analyzing data to assess the effectiveness of mitigation, offsetting and restoration measures.

• FPP may use the information to undertake functional monitoring.
• By proponents that do not require large-scale monitoring programs.
• By FPP to improve future advice and/or requirements related to mitigation and offsetting measures.
• If consistent monitoring programs/approaches for particular projects (e.g. stream diversions, bridge and culvert installations, dredging, offset habitat construction, etc.) can be planned and implemented (and tracked) in a regionally and nationally consistent approach, analyses of results of functional monitoring may be possible and could in turn improve future project assessments.

Objective

Participants will review Working Paper(s) and other information to address the following questions:

i) What are the recommended monitoring designs and methods (e.g., rapid assessment techniques/use of surrogates or indicators) to assess mitigation, offsetting and restoration measures that are designed to reduce impacts to fish and fish habitat using functional monitoring approaches (i.e., without a comprehensive effectiveness monitoring program)?

iii) Is it feasible to gather functional monitoring data using a checklist style approach that can be applied consistently among project types and stages of construction (i.e., for each project type, a checklist of specific information to collect with proponent led monitoring, site visit during construction monitoring, and post construction monitoring that can be applied in a consistent manner by FPP biologists)?

iv) If a checklist style approach is considered feasible for various project types and stages of construction, what are the recommended fields?

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report
• Proceedings
• Research Document(s)

Expected Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Ecosystems and Oceans Science, Fisheries Protection Program)
• Academia
• Other invited experts

References

Smokorowski, K.E., Bradford, M.J., Clarke, K.D., Clément, M., Gregory, R.S., Randall, R.G. 2015. Assessing the effectiveness of habitat offset activities in Canada: Monitoring design and metrics. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3132: vi + 48 p.