DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES AND OCEANS CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MACKENZIE DEL TA-BEAUFORT SEA REGIONAL LAND USE PLAN INTERNAL WORKING PAPER NOT TO BE CITED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF ARCOD ARCOD WORKING PAPER 92-1 DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES AND OCEANS CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MACKENZIE DELTA-BEAUFORT SEA . REGIONAL LAND USE PLAN ARCTIC OFFSHORE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES AND OCEANS May 1992 j j ARCOD gratefully acknowledges the participation of B. Bond, K. Chang-Kue, R. Clarke, L. Dahlke, the Fisheries Joint Management Committee, V. Gillman, M. Kingsley, A. Kristofferson, M. Lawrence, R. Moshenko, M. Roberge, B. Smiley, j T. Smith, T. Strong, N. Witherperson and especially D. Wright in preparing the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' Contribution to the Mackenzie Delta - Beaufort Sea Regional Land Use Planning Commission and participating in workshops and j meetings; and of ARCOD members, B. Ayles, B. Bell, R. Josephson, M. McMullen and P. Sutherland for reviewing and finalizing the paper. j j j Any correspondence concerning this working paper should be addressed to: j Dr. R.McV. Clarke Chairman, Arctic Offshore Development Committee Department of Fisheries and Oceans LJ 501 University Crescent Winnipeg, Manitoba LJ R3T 2N6 Phone (204)983-5182 LJ ~ LJ LJ LJ LJ .LJ u ~ I ii I TABLE OF CONTENTS I Introduction Part 1. Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Contribution to the Development I of the Mackenzie Delta - Beaufort Sea Regional Land Use Plan. Part 2. Fishery Resource Maps for the Mackenzie Delta - Beaufort Sea Planning I Region. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I j_ iii j INTRODUCTION As part of the northern land use planning process in the Northwest Territories, the Mackenzie Delta - Beaufort Sea Regional Land Use Planning Commission was j established in June, 1987, to prepare a land use plan for the Mackenzie Delta - Beaufort Sea Planning Region. The area covered by this Region is shown in the map on the next page. The land use plan will address the use of land and waters and their j resources. The Regional Commission established community working groups, identified j land use planning issues and concerns, and held workshops and meetings with community, industry, government and interest groups. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) prepared a Contribution and fishery resource maps for the LJ Commission, participated in various sectoral and general workshops and meetings, and reviewed documents. This work was conducted in conjunction with the Fisheries .j Joint Management Committee. This ARCOD Working Paper c·ontains the information that was provided by DFO to the Commission. The first part outlines the department's position and suggestions LJ on issues that should be addressed in the land use plan for the region, and a proposal for implementation of the plan. The second part contains the maps of fishery LJ resources. LJ LJ LJ I 150° 140° 130° 120° 110° 100° I :'~'\t, .. _,'/i I I I I I Beaufort I Sea I I I I I . I .I I I The Mackenzie Delta-Beaufort Sea I Planning Region - PlanninQ Region Boundary I ---- lnuvialuit Settl•m•nt Region NOTE: Land In the Yukon will be planned I N.W.T. for jointly with the Yukon. 130° 0 125 250 KM M.D. I l 1 - :-r 1 l l I Part 1. Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Contribution to the Development of the Mackenzie Delta - Beaufort Sea l Regional Land Use Plan . 1 I I I I DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES AND OCEANS I I I I CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MACKENZIE DELTA BEAUFORT SEA I REGIONAL LAND USE PLAN I I I I Prepared for THE MACKENZIE DELTA BEAUFORT SEA REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION I I I MAY 1989 I I I TABLE OF CONTENTS Page BACKGROUND • 1 OVERALL PRIORITIES • 3 APPLICATION TO THE MACKENZIE DELTA BEAUFORT SEA PLANNING REGION • 4 Priority 1 Areas • 5 Priority 2 Areas • 5 Priority 3 Areas • 6 Priority 4 Areas • 6 NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND SHIPPING 7 OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT · • 7 Overall Position • • • • 7 On Land Production Facilities 8 Offshore Production Facilities • 9 Shorebases • • • • 10 Subsea Pipelines • 10 Overland Pipelines • • 11 MINERAL DEVELOPMENT AND DREDGING · • • 11 SHIPP I NG • 12 UPSTREAM DEVELOPMENT ON THE MACKENZIE RIVER • • 13 RESEARCH • 14 IMPLEMENTATION 15 MONITORING • • 16 REVISION • 16 ANNEX 1. DFO MANDATE AND RESPONSIBILITIES • • 17 ANNEX 2. FISH AND MARINE MAMMALS OF THE MACKENZIE DELTA BEAUFORT SEA PLANNING REGION • 21 ANNEX 3. PRIORITY AREAS FOR FISH AND MARINE MAMMALS • • 27 - 1 - BACKGROUND The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is pleased to provide the following statement to the Mackenzie Delta Beaufort Sea Regional Planning Commission. The statement outlines the department's position and suggestions on issues that should be addressed in the land use plan for the region and a proposal for implementation of the plan. It proposes a classification of the region based on the importance of different areas to fish and marine mammals, and proposes protection requirments for each category of the classification. It identifies some general requirements for various types of development in the region, and for research. It also contains annexes outlining the department's responsibilities (Annex 1), and an overview of the mapped information provided to the Regional Commission (Annexes 2 and 3). The department recognizes that the Regional Commission is receiving this and other contributions from communities and other groups, all of which have to be integrated into the land use plan. The Mackenzie Delta Beaufort Sea Planning Region is vast and varies significantly in its physical and biological characteristics. Not only does the marine component of the planning area contrast to the freshwater environ­ ment, dominated by the Mackenzie River and its large and complex delta, but the physiography of the Mackenzie River valley and the Delta contrasts sharply with the Arctic and Interior Coastal Plains and the Western Cordillera of the Mackenzie, Richardson and British mountains. The many and varied aquatic environments produced by the interaction of physiography, hydrology and hydrography have resulted in the development of a rich assemblage of fish and marine mammal populations. The marine area of the eastern and southern Beaufort Sea supports during the summer open water period a population of approximately 11,500 beluga whale belonging to the Eastern Beaufort stock and approximately 7,800 bowhead whale belonging to the Bering Sea stock. In addition, there are significant numbers of ringed seal and lesser numbers of bearded seal in the marine portion of the Planning Region. The Mackenzie River and coastal waters support large popula­ tions of anadromous coregonids such as broad and humpback whitefish and Arctic and least cisco. As well, the Mackenzie River supports many non-anadromous species such as inconnu, northern pike and burbot. Anadromous or non­ anadromous Arctic charr occur in many river systems; anadromous Arctic charr migrate to the sea to feed in the adjacent marine waters and return to fresh water to spawn and overwinter, while non-anadromous (resident) Arctic charr remain continuously in fresh water. The marine and estuarine waters also contain large populations of Arctic cod, Pacific herring and smelt which in turn provide food for the seals, beluga and Arctic charr. These resources are of the utmost importance to the Dene and to the Inuvialuit both culturally and as a source of food. Beluga are harvested each summer primarily from the Mackenzie River estuary. Seals are hunted primarily during the winter and spring. Anadromous Arctic charr are harvested during both the downstream and upstream migrations and both anadromous and non­ anadromous charr are harvested through the ice. Large numbers of coregonids are netted predominantly during the upstream spawning and downstream post­ spawning migrations and at overwintering sites. - 2 - LJ Fishery knowledge for the planning region varies. Over the past 15 years, the department has collected a considerable amount of data concerning D the life history and ecological relationships of fish in the Mackenzie Delta and the lower portion of the river. Considerable data have been amassed concerning the various Arctic charr populations in the area, and studies of LJ marine fish have been conducted intermittently over the past 28years. Very little information exists with respect to the inland fisheries to the east of the Mackenzie River. Beluga have been the object of much study in the past D fifteen years. However, despite this effort, there is still much to learn with respect to the population dynamics and certain ecological requirements of these species. The size of the portion of the Bering Sea stock of bowhead CJ whale that summers in the Eastern Beaufort Sea is not precisely known nor are its overall ecological requirements. There is incomplete knowledge of many aspects of the functioning of the marine ecosystem, for instance the food of marine mammals, and relatively little understanding of the long-term impacts LJ of industrial activities, both within and outside the planning region, on the fish and marine mammal populations. Many people and organizations consider that conservation and protection of the renewable resources should be the primary goal of any land use plan for the region. Such an approach must be balanced with the continued use of the CJ fish and marine mammal resources by the Inuvialuit and the Dene residents, and with other possible uses such as hydrocarbon development and shipping. Also, an increase in the human population of the region may increase local pollution, disturbance and harvesting pressure on the renewable resources D which may be unable to withstand these impacts. Major issues such as the meaningful participation by local people in planning and decision making and the potentially.unequal distribution of social costs and benefits from LJ development· are considerations in the integration of these divergent interests.