Shellfish restoration in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (sGSL): a case study in Caraquet Bay, New Brunswick, Canada

1. Fisheries and Oceans Pêches et Océans Canada Canada Shellfish restoration in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (sGSL):a case study in Caraquet Bay, New Brunswick, Canada Marc Ouellette1, Jean-François Mallet1*, Ernest Ferguson2 and Denis Haché3 Fisheries and Oceans Canada: 1Aquaculture and Coastal Ecosystems Section 2Oceans and Habitat Division 3Small Craft Harbours Division

2. Gulf of St. Lawrence: a unique ecosystem • The physical and biological environment: • Partial isolation from the North Atlantic • Freshwater runoff from the land • A deep trough running along its length • Presence of a cold intermediate layer • Shallow depths • Seasonal ice • High biological productivity and diversity • The human environment: • Surrounded by five Canadian provinces • Populations composed of Anglophones, Francophones and many First Nations • Wide array of culturally and socially distinct settlements

3. Aquaculture & Fisheries Giant ScallopPlacopecten magellanicus American Oyster Crassostrea virginica Bar ClamSpisula solidissima Stimpson ClamSpisula polynima Fisheries (traditional) Fisheries & Aquaculture (potential) Soft-Shell ClamMya arenaria Razor Clam Ensis directus Ocean QuahaugArctica islandica Blue Mussel Mytilus edulis QuahaugMercenaria mercenaria Commercial Molluscan Species (sGSL)

4. Malpeque disease • 1915/35 - PEI • 1957 - NB MSX • 1957 - NS • 2002 • Bras d’Or Lakes, NS Invasive species in the sGSL (PEI) Styela clava Ciona intestinalis Botryllus schlosseri Botrylloides violaceus Carcinus maenas Codium fragile Shellfish restoration(sGSL): a growing interest • Alleviate the pressures: • Overexploitation • Disease outbreaks • Mapleque disease • MSX (Bras d’Or Lakes, NS, 2002 ) • Interspecific competition • Invasive species (PEI) • Habitat alterations

5. Aquatic ecosystems (cumulative effects) • Human activities: • forestry • mines • agriculture • peat moss harvest • fish transformation plants • maritime transport • fisheries • aquaculture • petrol and gas • municipalities • leisure • - marina • - golf courses • - landscape

6. 07/08/08 07/08/08 09/23/08 Shellfish Restoration (sGSL) • How? • techniques, protocols, monitoring... • Why? • Ecological values • turbidity, nutriment cycling, fish habitat (biodiversity), productivity (species, ecosystem ...) • Human values • socio-economics (fishery & aquaculture), cultural, environmental health (eutrophication ...) • Legislation (Fisheries act ...)

7. « problematic = population » « problematic = habitat » Shelling Seeding Relay « problematic = substrate » « problematic = productivity » « problematic = productivity » not available and/or no structure available (sedimentation) Desilting « problematic = substrate » habitat ex. ‘stunted growth’ population ex. density How?: Shellfish Restoration (techniques) Passive Active « problematic = ? » Closures/Protection

8. Why?: Shellfish Restoration (goal) « consists of favoring the return of degraded ecosystem to its previous state, by abandon or reasonably controlling the anthropogenic activities and/or by calculated interventions » Ecological Biomass Community Environment Economic Social objectives (techniques, protocols...) measure of success (monitoring...) « realistic expectations! »

9. The ecological approach to shellfish restoration is relatively new in the sGSL American Lobster Maritime Fishermen Association American OysterPEI Shellfish Association Giant ScallopMaritime Fishermen Association American OysterCase study in Caraqet Bay, NB Habitat banking Biomass Biomass Biomass Ecological Community Community Community Community Ecological Ecological Ecological Biomass (2007-2011) Shellfish Restoration (examples in the sGSL) Traditionally shellfish restoration initiatives are biomass driven in order to enhance or sustain a wild fishery (Since 1996) (Since 2001) (Since 1987)

10. Oyster landings and their corresponding values in district 65 (Caraquet area), from 1984 to 2003 (DFO 2007). Case study in Caraquet Bay, New Brunswick, Canada • Caraquet Bay hosts the northmost commercially significant oyster population in eastern North America. • The bay freezes over in the winter time • up to 1 meter of ice • Caraquet oysters are harvested since 1757 • deeply anchored in the culture • The abundance and productivity of this oyster population is in decline • significant drop in the landings • obvious socio-economic concerns • environmental concerns • increasing understanding of the importance of this species in its ecosystem. • An ecological restoration pilot project is currently being undertaken in Caraquet Bay (Habitat banking)

11. Why?: The Fisheries Act • Under the fisheries Act, the conservation and the protection of “fish habitats” are key elements of the DFO mandate. • Definition of a fish: • "includes fish, shellfish, crustaceans, marine animals and any their eggs, sperm, spawn, larvae, spat and juvenile stages." (Fisheries Act, sec. 2). • Definition of a fish habitat • " Spawning grounds and nursery, rearing, food supply and migration areas on which fish depend directly or indirectly in order to carry out their life processes." (Fisheries Act, sec. 34(l)). • Section 35 • Subsection 35(1) is a general prohibition of harmful alteration, disruption or destruction (HADD) of fish habitat. • The only relief from this general prohibition is when a Subsection 35(2)Authorization is issued for the HADD. • A HADD is any change in the habitat that reduces it’s capacity to sustain one or more vital life processes of fishes. • If an Authorization is issued, the compensation plan of HADD has to take in account the guiding principle of no net loss of the fish habitat’s productivity • It is important to note that this 35(2) Authorization authorizes the HADD and not the project resulting in the HADD.

12. The Fisheries Act: The habitat banking concept • In its most basic form, habitat banking is the completion of compensation prior to a subsection 35(2) Authorization being issued. • The proponent creates or improves fish habitat for future use as compensation. • The creation of a habitat bank does not involve monies, nor does it "Pre-approve" any future HADDs. • The location and design of a habitat bank must first be approved by DFO and proponents should provide data describing the "before" conditions. • Habitat banks are useful in situations where a proponent needs to compensate for several small HADDs, and few compensation options exist at the site(s). • Habitat banking may have the benefit of requiring smaller replacement ratios, since effectiveness is already known. • During the time between the creation of the new habitat and its use as compensation, fish benefit from the existence of the habitat bank and a Net Gain of productive capacity occurs. For further information on Habitat management: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/habitat/habitat-eng.htm

13. Ecological restoration Added value Habitat banking: Caraquet Bay (summary) « Natural sciences versus Human sciences » • Projet objective: • Apply and evaluate the success of four restoration techniques in Caraquet Bay, NB. • Increase the American oyster population • Enhance the productivity of the fish habitat • Beneficiate the estuarine environment • Develop a local expertise

14. (et autres associations de pêcheurs) (and other fishermen association) “Tout comme le récif... l’union fait la force!” “Just like a reef… unity is strenght!”