Hawke Channel Closure

On this page:

• At-a-glance
• Biodiversity conservation benefits
• Ecosystem
• Management and conservation
• Cultural elements
• Research and monitoring
• Activity application
• Publications

At-a-glance

Location

Newfoundland-Labrador Shelves Bioregion (Newfoundland and Labrador)

Size (km²)

About 8,837 km²

% coverage contribution to Marine Conservation Targets

About 0.15%

Date of recognition

January 2018

Establishment mechanism

This Fisheries Act closure was implemented in 2002.

Biodiversity conservation benefits

Important species benefits

Atlantic cod is a culturally iconic species that supports recreational and commercial fisheries in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Important habitat benefit

The bottom habitat in this area overlaps an Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA) that supports diverse populations of groundfish and other benthic species. For example, the habitat is an important snow crab fishing ground.

Prohibitions

The biodiversity conservation benefits are effectively conserved through the prohibition of:

• bottom-set gillnets
• benthic longlines
• mobile-bottom contact gear (for example, bottom trawl)

OECM Protection Standard

All existing and foreseeable activities are assessed on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the risks they pose to the biodiversity conservation benefits are effectively avoided or mitigated. For more information please visit Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECM) Protection Standard.

Ecosystem

The closure overlaps a significant portion of the Labrador Margin Trough EBSA and supports a high diversity of groundfish populations, including commercially important species such as Greenland halibut. By protecting the bottom habitat, this closure also protects depleted species such as Atlantic wolffish.

Management and conservation

This closure is managed under the Fisheries Act by prohibiting specific fishing activities.

Cultural elements

The Hawke Channel Closure was stewarded in the early 2000s by fishing industry representatives contributing to the conservation of important commercial groundfish and shellfish species.

Research and monitoring

DFO’s scientific monitoring approach for the Northeast Newfoundland Slope Closure is based on core and complementary monitoring, which are supplemented as needed by targeted research. Core monitoring uses a set of standardized, minimally invasive survey methods and protocols across all marine refuges in the NL Region. Complementary monitoring leverages data collected for purposes other than monitoring marine refuges (for example, fish stock assessment surveys). Targeted research addresses methodological and ecological knowledge gaps relevant to marine refuges. Information will be collected over the long-term to assess the status and trend of species listed as biodiversity conservation benefits as well as overall biodiversity. A formal monitoring plan for this area is currently under development.

Activity application

Activities proposed to occur within the Hawke Channel Closure are assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine compatibility with the biodiversity conservation benefits, and to ensure that any risks have been avoided or mitigated effectively.

Inquiries regarding potential activities within OECMs in the NL Region should be directed to DFO.MarineRefugesNL-RefugesmarinsTN.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Publications

• Why fishers want a closed area in their fishing grounds: Exploring perceptions and attitudes to sustainable fisheries and conservation 10 years post closure in Labrador, Canada - ScienceDirect (Kincaid and Rose, 2014)
• Impacts of a bottom trawling exclusion zone on snow crab abundance and fish harvester behavior in the Labrador Sea, Canada (Mullowney et al, 2012)
• Effects of closing bottom trawling on fisheries, biodiversity, and fishing communities in a boreal marine ecosystem: The Hawke Box off Labrador, Canada (Kincaid and Rose, 2017)
• Applying ensemble ecosystem model projections to future-proof marine conservation planning in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean (Bryndum-Buchholz et al, 2023)