C: ADVICE

The Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) coordinates the DFO Science Advisory process in collaboration with the regional Centres for Science Advice. This coordination network is responsible for maintaining high standards of excellence in the provision of peer-reviewed scientific information and advice in support of sound decision-making.

Advice in Support of the Species at Risk Act in the Great Lakes

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is responsible for the protection of all aquatic species and enforcement of certain provisions of Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA). DFO Science Sector provides several types of advice in support of SARA.

DFO Science provides a peer review of all available data and internal and external information holdings on priority species prior to assessment by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), after which COSEWIC reviews the assessment reports. For example, a silver lamprey pre-COSEWIC assessment was held this year. DFO Science also gives advice on Recovery Potential Assessments carried out by COSEWIC for species being considered for listing under SARA.

By far, the greatest number of aquatic species listed under SARA originates in the Great Lakes ecosystem. In the Great Lakes basin, 16 fish species are listed under Schedule 1*, five under Schedule 2, and nine under Schedule 3. Eight freshwater mussel species are listed under Schedule 1. A Recovery Potential Assessment for Lake Ontario Atlantic salmon and Lake sturgeon was undertaken this year.

* See a complete explanation of SARA schedules at: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/faq/faq-eng.htm

Assessments for these freshwater species require further work on critical habitat before they are completed. Research has also continued on a number of these species in support of their recovery and, in some cases, a better understanding of their status.

Killer Whales of Newfoundland and Labrador: Assessment of Distribution and Social Structure

Most Canadians know about the killer whales in Canada's Pacific waters. However, killer whales native to our Atlantic waters are not yet as famous. In 2006–2007 DFO researchers Jack Lawson, Tara Stevens and David Snow undertook the first comprehensive study of killer whales of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Knowledge of killer whales in Atlantic Canada has been largely based on opportunistic encounters and they have been noted to occur along the Canadian Atlantic coast, including the Gulf of St. Lawrence. To assess the status of killer whales in this region, and therefore their susceptibility to human impacts and threats, DFO is gathering information on their abundance, distribution and life history (e.g., how large is their home range and what are their movement patterns within it?).

Systematic monitoring of Atlantic killer whales in the past has been deficient. Recently, with the increased public awareness of this species due to public education efforts— and DFO interview surveys to collect data for SARAlisted species such as blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) and leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea)— more reports of killer whales have been received. As it has in the northeast Pacific, this information for Atlantic Canada can be gained through a combination of photographic identification, directed and opportunistic sightings collection, and genetic and acoustic sampling. Early evidence from David Snow's photographic collection of near-shore killer whales in this region suggested that some of these whales exhibit a geographically transitory pattern. Building on this information, Dr. Lawson and Ms. Stevens gathered thousands more images, and constructed a large-scale photographic catalogue to conduct a more in-depth investigation of killer whale residency and social structure. The catalogue has allowed the team to identify 64 individual whales, with images of hundreds of individuals yet to be identified. The new catalogue has also shown that some are returning to the same areas over multiple months and years.

Although the researchers have found evidence of approximately 13 pods of whales — most ranging in size from three to seven whales — it is unknown if these are long-term affiliations. The researchers also discovered large-scale (more than 600 nautical miles) intra- and inter-annual movements by known individuals. Killer whale sightings are predictable off the southern mainland coast in the late summer, and elsewhere in Atlantic Canada in the summer and fall. Killer whales have even been observed in pack ice on the North coast of the island of Newfoundland in winter — perhaps feeding on harp seals.

The research paper on Atlantic killer whales, “Killer whales of Atlantic Canada, with particular reference to the Newfoundland and Labrador Region,” is scheduled to be posted on the DFO CSAS website in 2007.

Eastern Canadian Arctic Bowhead Whales: Population Assessment

The status of the eastern Arctic bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) was upgraded by COSEWIC in May 2005 from “endangered” to “threatened.” Subsequent peer review meetings by DFO Science supported the development of a SARA Recovery Strategy for the two Davis Strait-Baffin Bay and Hudson Bay-Foxe Basin bowhead populations. DFO also provided advice to Fisheries Management and the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board related to the management of bowheads and quota size.

In 2006 results of a monitoring program of bowheads caused DFO researchers to determine that a single population of eastern Arctic bowhead whales exists — not two stocks as previously believed — and that they number about 7,000.

During a 10-month study, DFO researchers used relatively recent technology to tag and monitor the movements of nine bowhead whales. The results confirm that the bowheads are one population, capable of long-range movements, that their migration routes are variable, and that whales from different areas of the eastern Canadian Arctic share common summering and wintering areas. The success of the tagging program exemplifies the value of using up-do-date technology to remotely monitor the movements of marine animals and to address important management issues. Further work is ongoing to investigate, define and identify important habitat preferences of bowhead whales.

The right of the Inuit to hunt bowhead is enshrined in the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, so it is important to understand the stock's ability to support a harvest. Issues of stock identity and structure, including a range that crosses regions and international boundaries, are important considerations in providing advice on hunt allocations to communities in Nunavut and Nunavik.

In May 2007 the International Whaling Commission accepted a tentative re-definition of the eastern Canadian Arctic bowhead whale population, based on this work and similar work conducted in Greenland (with whom the population is shared.) DFO's bowhead whale research has been the subject of three television documentaries, most recently as part of CBC Television's 2006 National news specials from the Northwest Passage. Links to the CBC videos (in English only) are at: www.cbc.ca/news/background/northwest-passage/

A Study of Resident Seal Populations and Oil Drilling Operations in the Beaufort Sea

The objectives of this study were to identify and evaluate any potential impacts of offshore industrial activities on the resident seal populations, with a view to providing advice on any mitigating measures and monitoring studies that might be employed effectively in the future.

The study area was around Devon Canada Corporation's Paktoa site in EL420 in the southeast Beaufort Sea. The first three years of the study (2003, 2004, 2005) were conducted prior to industry activity at Paktoa, while the fourth year (2006) was conducted during the latter part of a single exploratory drilling season when Devon Canada tested and abandoned their exploratory well, demobilized the rig, and constructed and maintained an ice road and airstrip. DFO study methods included ice surveys using trained detection dogs, satellite tagging and tracking of 20 individuals, year-round aerial surveys during the seals' basking period, and collection of 62 specimens to examine body condition and reproduction of individuals. Over the four years of the study, the work was greatly enhanced by the involvement of 19 Inuvialuit field technicians.

The distribution of subnivean lairs and breathing holes, and the behaviour and distribution of tagged seals, were not significantly different among the non-industry and industry years studied. Natural abandonment of seal structures ranged from 21 to 26 percent in 2003, 2004 and 2005, with a lower rate (10 percent) in 2006 being attributed to the significantly later date of freeze up in that year. The collected specimens showed the ringed seals in this area to be in good body condition with ample fat stores, in normal reproductive status, with zero or negligible levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and 74 percent with prey in their stomachs. There was a significant increase in the densities of basking seals near the floe edge compared to farther from it, but no detectable relationship between the distribution of basking seals and the Paktoa site in any year.

Overall, the study provided important baseline information on the use of the near-shore Beaufort Sea by ringed seals during spring, and is a benchmark for any future studies involving multiple or longer term drilling operations. The results suggest that one season of drilling by industry at the Paktoa site had no detectable effect on ringed seals in the study area. The effects of longer exposures to industrial activity, or exposure to multiple industrial sources, remain unknown.

Science Advice on Arctic Populations of Narwhal, Greenland Halibut, Beluga

DFO Science provided science advice in response to requests from DFO Fisheries and Aquaculture Management and the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board with respect to the review and potential increase of quotas for northern Hudson Bay narwhals, an inshore Greenland halibut exploratory fishery, and crab harvests in North Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Division 0. In 2006, there were two beluga entrapment events, one in the Husky Lakes and one in Cumberland Sound. Science advice was provided to support decisions in both of these cases, as well as for the development of a closed area in NAFO Division 0A to protect narwhal over-wintering grounds, which would also protect deep-sea corals in the same area.

Oceans Action Plan: Science in Support of Integrated Management

In 2004 Canada's Oceans Action Plan established five Large Ocean Management Area (LOMA) initiatives: Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA), Beaufort Sea Integrated Management Planning Initiative (BSIMPI), Gulf of St. Lawrence Integrated Management Area (GOSLIM), Eastern Scotian Shelf Integrated Management Area (ESSIM) and Placentia Bay/Grand Banks (PBGB). To support integrated management in the LOMAs, DFO Science developed a national approach and produced Conservation Objectives, science-based objectives related to the status of the non-human components of the ecosystem.

In January 2007 a nationally consistent approach to Conservation Objectives was established. Conservation Objectives are intended to guide participants in the integrated management process by setting boundaries within which social, cultural and economic objectives are established in the LOMA, thus ensuring that the nature and magnitude of human impacts on ecosystems are sustainable. Conservation Objectives are based on the following four sources: ecologically and biologically significant areas, ecologically significant species and community properties, degraded areas, and depleted species.

Read more in the CSAS Science Advisory Report Guidance Document on Identifying Conservation Priorities and Phrasing Conservation Objectives for Large Ocean Management Areas at: www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas/Csas/status/2007/SAR-AS2007_010_E.pdf

Ecosystem Overview and Assessment Report on the Beaufort Sea

The Beaufort Sea is a complex marine ecosystem. The productivity of the region, particularly the near-shore, has been an important resource for human occupation. In support of the Beaufort Sea LOMA, DFO Science and co-management partners provided expertise and advice in the development of the Beaufort Sea Ecosystem Overview and Assessment Report, for use by DFO Oceans Sector.

In Volume 1, the overview describes the structure and function of the ecosystem and any gaps in knowledge. In Volume 2, the assessment identifies and evaluates the ecological impacts of human activities (present and future) and serves as an aid to government, industry and Inuvialuit in decision-making processes. The report also identifies areas, species and community properties of ecological and/or biological significance. Some of the conclusions and recommendations were developed with the intent of balancing economic development and ecosystem integrity.

Science and research are integral components in achieving this balance toward developing effective monitoring systems and mitigation/management strategies, and a Canadian technical report on this topic is being prepared. Read more about Canada's Oceans Act of 1997 at: www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans-habitat/oceans/ oap-pao/index_e.asp

Mapping Species at Risk: New Tool for Conservation and Habitat Management

The Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences (GLLFAS) research division of DFO Science has collected fish and mussel distribution data within Ontario to update historical records and to obtain an accurate picture of the current distribution of species at risk. In 2003, a useful mapping tool was developed for a project carried out by Habitat Management and its partners, with funding from the national SARA program. The project's goals were to:

• assemble and validate fish and mussel distribution data in Ontario
• develop a web-mapping application for Ontario Great Lakes Area (OGLA) staff related to species at risk
• develop an atlas with supporting documentation for partners
• update a web-mapping application with valid, current data

Nick Mandrak and Carolyn Bakelaar of GLLFAS and Debbie Ming and Peter Brunette of Oceans and Habitat (OGLA) collaborated to develop the tool (a series of maps) for OGLA and partner agencies, including Conservation Authorities, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Ministry of Transportation. Each map uses a 3-colour scheme based on SARA status, and identifies the presence of species at risk within a stream segment. For example, red segments represent the presence of extirpated, endangered and threatened species currently listed in SARA Schedule 1. These mapping applications are useful for determining OGLA's level of involvement in the referral process (i.e., landbased or in-water activities that could impact fish habitat).

In June 2006 a draft version of the mapping tool was distributed to OGLA partners as an ”atlas” of 143 maps — available digitally in a CD and via the DFO Intranet in a webmapping application — and in June 2007 Version 1 was officially released. This project will continue throughout the coming years as risk status changes for different species and as new distribution data are collected.

Aquatic Invasive Species Assessment: Northern Snakehead in Canada

Northern snakehead is an extremely hardy freshwater fish and a voracious predator of other fishes. It grows rapidly to attain sizes of greater than 1.5 metres. There are up to 36 species of snakeheads native to Eurasia and Africa, many of which are notorious for their ability to breathe air and move on land. Some snakehead species are used for the aquarium and live food trades. They can withstand being out of the water for several hours — even days — and are shipped in wet burlap. Northern snakeheads have also recovered from being frozen solid!

Researchers Nick Mandrak and Becky Cudmore assessed the biological risk of northern snakehead and found the risk of introduction and its consequences to be high in Canadian waters. Read more at: www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas/Csas/Publications/ResDocs-DocRech/2005/2005_075_e.htm

Canada–U.S. Pacific Hake Agreement

In January 2007 an agreement between Canada and the U.S. came into effect that provides for joint stock assessment, management and research on the harvest of Pacific hake (Merluccius productus). The offshore Pacific hake stock ranges from Baja California to southeastern Alaska, with the West coast of Vancouver Island being the northern limit of its commercial abundance. This is the most plentiful of three stocks in the northeastern Pacific Ocean that support international, joint venture and domestic fisheries in Canadian and U.S. waters. From 1966 to 2004 these fisheries have averaged 190,000 metric tons (t) annually.

Recent work regarding Pacific hake generated the following results:

• The joint hydro-acoustic survey showed that expansion/contraction of the stock is probably related to variations in environmental factors, particularly temperature.
• Larval work suggests substantial interannual spatial variability in the transport of larvae, with larvae reaching the outer shelf in some years but not others.
• Scientists are examining information on the relative abundance and productivity of hake prey to consider plausible bounds on the total hake biomass in the California Current.
• Analysis of age composition data indicates that some cohorts appear to grow at different rates than others sampled in the same year.
• Older (age 5+), larger, and predominantly female hake migrate into the Canadian zone. During El Niños, a larger proportion of the stock migrates into Canadian waters, apparently due to intensified northward transport during the period of active migration (Dorn 1995).
• Range extensions to the north also occur during El Niños, as evidenced by reports of hake from southeast Alaska during warmwater years. During the warm period experienced in the 1990s there have been changes in typical patterns of distribution.
• Spawning activity has been recorded north of California, and frequent reports of unusual numbers of juveniles from Oregon to British Columbia suggest that juvenile settlement patterns also shifted northward in the late 1990s. Because of this, juveniles may be subjected to increased predation from cannibalism and to increased vulnerability to fishing mortality.
• Subsequently, La Niña conditions apparently caused a southward shift in the centre of the stock's distribution and a smaller portion was found in Canadian waters in the 2001 survey.

Identifying the Biological Diversity of Pacific Wild Salmon under the Wild Salmon Policy

The six principles of the Wild Salmon Policy (WSP) are aimed toward identifying and protecting the biological diversity of Pacific wild salmon, and taking an inventory of the units of diversity that require conservation. Identification of these conservation units (CU) within British Columbia is very near completion, and the description of units in Yukon and Northwest Territories will proceed once their ecological zones are mapped.

An approach first developed by the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service was modified to characterize diversity in Pacific salmon along three major axes: ecology, life history and molecular genetics. (See R. Waples et al, 2001, Characterizing diversity in salmon from the Pacific Northwest. J. Fish. Biol. 59: 1–41.) The three axes are used to map local adaptation in a variety of ways. The first stage in the delineation of CUs is based solely on ecology. These “ecotypes” characterize nearshore marine environment and associated watersheds.

The second stage applies life-history and molecular genetics — and any further ecological information about Pacific salmon — to group or partition the first-stage units into the CUs. There was a high degree of agreement between ecotypic, biological (life history) and genetic characterizations of intraspecific diversity, suggesting that the CUs describe real and important adaptive diversity.

In addition to the pragmatic advantages of a method that uses all available information to describe intra-specific diversity, an ecotypic approach has benefits stemming from characterizations of salmon habitat in its broadest sense. Importantly, the method supports the intent of the WSP to use CUs for the conservation of both pattern and process in Pacific salmon and their ecosystems. Pattern is the diversity that currently exists. Process refers to the evolutionary processes that create and maintain diversity. (See C. Moritz, 2002, Strategies to protect biological diversity and the evolutionary processes that sustain it. Systematic Biology 51(2): 238–254.)

One general conclusion from this exercise is that Pacific salmon in Canada are very diverse, as reflected in the estimated numbers of CUs by species: Pink salmon, 21-22; Chum salmon, 29; Coho salmon, 45-48; Chinook salmon, ~50; Sockeye salmon (lake rearing), ~250; and Sockeye salmon (river/sea rearing), 30-35.