Designing Networks of Marine Protected Areas in DFO s Three Atlantic Bioregions Presentation for Indigenous Protected Areas Workshop Max Westhead, DFO and Adrian Gerhartz-Abraham, Dalhousie March 29, 2017
Outline 1. Setting the Stage for MPA Network Design 2. MPA Network Design Analysis 3. Timelines and Opportunities 2
Bioregions
Challenge In each bioregion, use the extensive amount of available ecological and human-use data to design a comprehensive, resilient, and representative network of marine protected areas Respect existing rights and activities Meet conservation goals while minimizing potential socio-economic impacts 4
Part 1: Setting the Stage A structured process is needed for consistency across bioregions Objectives hierarchy:» National Goals» Strategic Objectives» Conservation Priorities»Design Strategies (Targets) Broad Specific 5
National Goals High-level statements that outline what the National MPA Network aims to achieve: 1) To provide long-term protection of marine biodiversity, ecosystem function and special natural features. 2) To support the conservation and management of Canada's living marine resources and their habitats, and the socio-economic values and ecosystem services they provide. 3) To enhance public awareness and appreciation of Canada's marine environments and rich maritime history and culture. 6
Objectives hierarchy:» National Goals»Strategic Objectives»Conservation Priorities»Design Strategies (Targets) 7
Strategic Objectives Statements that outline what a regional MPA network aims to achieve. Slightly different in each bioregion to take into account differences in environments and regional context Guide the identification of specific Conservation Priorities to be captured in the network 8
Examples of Strategic Objectives Help maintain ecosystem structure, functioning and resilience within the bioregion Provide protection for marine areas that contain unique or rare features (populations, communities, species or habitats) Protect representative examples of identified ecosystem and habitat types in the bioregion Help protect species at risk and their habitats to ensure their survival and possibly improve their state 9
Objectives hierarchy:» National Goals»Strategic Objectives»Conservation Priorities»Design Strategies (Targets) 10
Conservation Priorities Individual populations or species, groups of species, habitats, communities, ecological processes or other ecological features Selection of Conservation Priorities guided by: The Strategic Objectives Data availability Data quality Suitability of feature for spatial protection 11
Examples of Conservation Priorities Eelgrass beds Atlantic cod distribution Vazella pourtalesi (sponge) concentrations Areas of high fish species richness Representative oceanographic areas Species of Aboriginal importance Forage fish species (capelin) 12
Examples of Conservation Priorities
Objectives hierarchy:» National Goals»Strategic Objectives»Conservation Priorities»Design Strategies (Targets) 14
Design Strategies Statements that specify the type and target for each Conservation Priority i.e., what specifically is being targeted, and how much should be captured in the network? Vazella sponge example: Type: Significant concentrations of Vazella Target: Capture 80-100% of this feature in the network 15
Specifying targets: Design Strategies Helps to measure success in capturing Conservation Priorities in the network Increases transparency in decision-making Science meetings (CSAS) in each bioregion to inform Design Strategies Indigenous information identified as a gap in Maritimes Region 16
Part 2: Network Design Analysis All 3 bioregions using Marxan to help design an MPA network that: Meets the ecological targets Minimizes socio-economic impacts Marxan does not give the final solution! Helps to identify key areas and explore trade-offs Good starting point for discussions 17
Marxan Decision Support Tool in Conservation Planning Adrian Gerhartz-Abraham
What is Marxan? 1. Most widely used decision support software for conservation planning globally 2. Intended to solve reserve design problem known as the minimum set problem (i.e., capture a set amount of biodiversity for the least cost)
Marxan and conservation planning principles Representative Adequate Efficient Connectivity The ideal is to sample every kind of biodiversity 1. species (composition) 2. habitats (structure) 3. ecological processes (function) 4. ecological regions (biogeography) Also, sampling across the full range of variation of each feature (i.e., replication) Protecting enough to ensure persistence of biodiversity and continuity of ecological process that ensure ecosystem services. BUT How much is enough? Achieving objectives with a minimum cost, that is to say, with the least possible impact for all those involved Processes by which genes, organisms, populations, species, nutrients and/or energy move among spatially distinct habitats, populations, communities or ecosystems (MPA Center Report, 2017).
How does a DST (e.g., Marxan) work in Protected Area planning? 1. The management area needs to be subdivided into planning units (PU) 2. Quantitative information (area) of each conservation priority for each PU e.g., Nursery habitat Kelp distribution = 3 km 2 1km 2 0.6 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.2 1 2 3. Quantitative targets for each conservation priority that the system will aim to capture e.g., 33% (~1 Km 2 ) target of habitat distribution to be captured in the system 4. A cost associated to each PU (e.g., Area as a surrogate of management cost; Landings value as a surrogate of importance for fisheries; etc.) 3 4
What does Marxan do? Identifies a group of sites which meet conservation targets for a range of biodiversity features for a minimal cost Problem : Protect 1 km 2 of kelp habitat for the least impact High Fishing Activity Scenarios 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.8 0.4 0.2 Low Fishing Activity A B C D Most efficient D: target met with the smallest impact 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.8 0.4 0.2 0.8 0.4 0.2 0.8 0.4 0.2 0.8 0.4 0.2 Low impact but Target not met Target met but medium impact Target met but high Impact Marxan does not provide final answers but it is a tool to support decision-making
Marxan Objective: In Summary 1. Minimize: a) The total Cost of the reserve network b) Total Boundary of the reserve network 2. While meeting all conservation targets (i.e., minimizing the penalties for not adequately representing conservation features)
Benefits of using Marxan Useful to see how goals/objectives translate into reserve options Provides many good solutions and can be flexible for stakeholder engagement Incorporates different kinds of data to solve complex reserve design problems Identification of key locations (both for conservation and for not allocating reserves)
Benefits of using Marxan Addresses core conservation planning principles (Representation; Adequacy; Efficiency) Selects areas in a systematic, repeatable and transparent manner Facilitates the exploration of trade-offs between socio-economic and ecological objectives
Data inputs: Marxan Analysis Ecological data layers representing each Conservation Priority Human-use data layers For use in Marxan, human-use data must be: Georeferenced Converted to the same unit 26
Fisheries Data Commercial fisheries data is the main humanuse input into Marxan Data available for most commercial fisheries Want to avoid the most important areas for commercial fisheries where possible Data can easily be converted into the same units (e.g., landing by weight) 27
Fisheries Data Examples
Other Human-Use Data Other examples of human-use data to be considered at the network design stage (either in Marxan or post-marxan): Culturally important areas and uses Aquaculture sites Oil and gas production and significant discovery licenses Utility corridors (e.g., under sea cables) Other industrial developments (e.g., tidal energy) Shipping traffic 29
Coastal EBSAs and Eco-Units Coastal Process in the Scotian Shelf Bioregion Different approach being used in the coastal planning area not using Marxan Ecological data in the coast is mostly descriptive in nature, with many gaps Relying on the use of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) as a starting point 54 EBSAs described in the coast based on expert opinion and local knowledge 30
Data Gaps Work is being done to fill information gaps, such as: Indigenous information Connectivity data Spatial gaps (e.g., deep waters) 31
The MPA Network Design A network design is not the final picture Gives a general idea of priority sites for future protection It is a long-term plan for each bioregion Will be adjusted over time as new information comes in 32
The MPA Network Design New AOIs to be selected based on the draft MPA network designs starting in 2017 Each new MPA will have distinct information collection and consultation processes 33
Part 3. Timelines Release draft MPA network design* Finalize MPA network design Design and implement individual sites 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Consultation to inform on process and collect information Consultation on draft design Consultation on site design 34
Opportunities Still considering new information for development of draft MPA network designs (2017) Opportunity for input during consultation period on draft designs (2018), including Indigenous information New scientific data, Indigenous information, and human-use information will factor into future iterations of the MPA network designs (2018- onward) and at site level implementation 35
Thank you Maxine Westhead maxine.westhead@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Resource Slides
How Oceans Act MPAs are Created Step 1: Select Area of Interest (AOI) Engage stakeholders (ongoing during the designation process) Create a multi-stakeholder advisory body Step 2: Conduct overview and assessment of AOI Overview of available ecological and human use information Assess potential risk of human activities to the ecosystem Step 3: Develop regulatory intent Describes proposed boundaries and management scenario Cost benefit analysis Consult through advisory body and other mechanisms Step 4: Develop regulatory documents and designate the MPA Publish in Canada Gazette (includes public consultation period) Step 5: MPA management Research and monitoring, education and outreach, activity approvals, etc.
MPA Network Development in NL Shelves Bioregion (proposed timeline) Phase 1 Gather data & information Phase 2 Design MPA network Advance opportunities Phase 3 Create and implement Action Plan Phase 4 Monitor and manage sites 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Gather information and consult on MPA Network Objectives Consult on potential MPA Network Design Scenarios Finalize MPA Network Design Consult
NL Shelves Bioregion: Communitybased Coastal Resource Inventory From 1996 to 2009 twenty-two individual LEK data collection exercises were undertaken which cover the entire DFO NL Region This is a spatial database collected through interviews with local residents with an interest in participating. Mostly commercial fishers Data collected on the following themes, Groundfish, Pelagics, Shellfish Marine Mammals, Aquatic Plants, Aquaculture, Infrastructure, Culture Tourism and Recreation, Shoreline Classification (Scale 1:50,000) 40
Examples of Stakeholder Identified Conservation Priorities in the NL Shelves Bioregion 1. Atlantic Cod 2. Coral and Sponges 3. At Risk Species 4. Marine Habitats 5. Marine birds 6. Cetaceans 7. Species of Aboriginal Importance 8. Forage Fish Species (capelin)
Mapping Commercial Logbook Data using the Coastal Community Resource Inventory Community Coastal Resource Inventory Areas for a given fishery are mapped. In this case the Cod fixed gear fishery Marxan Planning Units which overlay these areas are extracted to represent the footprint of that fishery inshore Non-georeferenced points with associated logbook values are distributed by NAFO Zone to the CCRI planning units. Georeferenced points are mapped as per usual. 42
NL Shelves Bioregion: Offshore Local Ecological Knowledge Survey In 2012 a LEK survey was conducted through a personal services contract Fifteen fishers were interviewed from several communities along the southern Labrador coast Extra emphasis was placed on trying to identify special areas or areas worthy of conservation attention
Identifying Design Strategies (EGSL) What? Percentage associated to each CP Why? It quantifies strategic conservation objectives Helps measure the achievement of results for the MPA network How? Different scenarios = various conservation levels
Identifying Design Strategies (EGSL) Minimum target = 10% - CBD expert workshop (Nagoya, 2010) - Québec City (2011) - "medium" and "high" targets Targets selected for basic scenarios for all conservation priorities: 10% - 20 % - 30% Defining criteria for assigning higher targets
Identifying Design Strategies (cont.) Different CPs, different conservation level: Increase targets if the conservation level is higher, e.g., species at risk: 20% - 30% - 40% Other criteria for assigning higher targets than those in basic scenarios: Number of COs per CP Species of particular interest "Direct" vs. "substitute" data "Integrated" or "non-integrated" data