Dungeness Crab Abundance and Tsawwassen First Nation LGL Limited – Christopher Burns Movement Study within Roberts Bank May 22, 2019 Presentation Outline 1. Background • Terminal 2 Expansion and Navigational Closure Area (NCA) • PMV Assessment • TFN Concerns 2. Objectives 3. Methods 4. Results 5. Summary Background • Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Expansion • Expand container berths • Widen causeway • Current NCA restricts commercial and recreational crab harvest • Food, Social and Ceremonial (FSC) crab harvest is permitted inside NCA Note: Construction NCA overlaps with the operations NCA Background • Significance Determination • EA predicted no significant effects on Dungeness Crabs • Mitigation Measure: • Proposed expanding the current NCA • The expanded NCA will serve as a crab refuge from commercial fishing • The expanded NCA will increase the area for FSC harvest Note: Construction NCA overlaps with the operations NCA Background TFN Concerns: • Loss of high value crab habitat within Terminal 2 footprint (Hemmera 2014) • Harvest crabs within the Terminal 2 and ITP footprint • Loss of valuable FSC fisheries area • Expanded NCA does not compensate/mitigate for loss of FSC fisheries area Objectives • The primary objective of the study was to assess the effect of the proposed expanded NCA on the TFN FSC fishery, by: • Compare catch and biological data inside and outside the NCA(s), Terminal 2 and ITP footprints • Monitor crab movement into and out of the current and the expanded NCA • Conduct interviews with TFN FSC fisherman to determine preferences and importance • Evaluate the assertion by PMV that the TFN FSC fishery would benefit from the proposed expanded NCA Methods • August to October • Assess abundance: • Set crab trap lines distributed at locations within and outside of the current NCA • Assess distribution movement: • Tagged with anchor and acoustic tags • FSC and commercial fishermen report captured tagged crabs • Boat tracking survey Methods • Assess FSC fishery use and preferences: • Interviews with volunteer FSC crab fishermen • Standardized questionnaire • Informal discussions Results • More abundant and larger male crabs inside the current NCA • Current NCA provides a refuge area in the conservation of crab populations • Current NCA provides opportunities for FSC harvest throughout the fishery season • For the FSC fishery, it would take approx. 2.8 times greater effort (days) to catch the same number of legal males outside than inside the current NCA during the period of this study • Predicted that an expanded NCA would likely continue to provide the protection of legal males throughout the fishery season Results • For the duration of the study there was continuous movement of males across the current NCA border, with a general trend for males to move southwest toward deeper water • Current NCA provides a temporary refuge from the commercial fishery • Total harvest rate (commercial, recreation, FSC) of 85% • Time to harvest (inside to outside NCA) was 21 days Results • The current NCA, Terminal 2, and ITP footprint area is of high importance to the FSC fishery as indicated by the fishermen interviews • The utilization of these areas by FSC fishermen exceeds 90% and these areas account for 25 to 75% of fishermen’s total harvest (depending upon the fishermen) • Fishing area outside the current NCA and Terminal 2 footprint are preferred earlier in the season. • As the season progresses and legal males are depleted during the commercial fishery, some FSC fishermen relocate inside the current NCA and other DFO sub-areas Results • FSC fishermen preferred harvest depths are 2-20 m based upon interviews • Majority of the proposed expanded NCA is in very shallow (<2 m) or deep water habitat (>50 m) that cannot be fished due to gear limitations • The proposed expanded NCA along the northern edge of Deltaport and the causeway is low quality crab habitat due to silt deposition • Fishermen observations in agreement with habitat suitability model (Hemmera 2014) and this study (Burns et al. 2016) • Increased boat traffic will cause a displacement of traps to lower quality areas Note: Construction NCA overlaps with the operations NCA Summary Depth Stratum • The current NCA, Terminal 2, and ITP footprint Optimal Crab Accessible Crab area is preferred by 90% of TFN fishermen Fishing Depth Fishing Depth • ITP footprint no longer part of project Parameter Location (2–20 m) (2–50 m) Area Loss • High quality habitat and a preferred FSC crab (ha) Terminal 2 Footprint 100.4 100.4 fishing area will be permanently lost within Terminal 2 footprint area Proposed Expanded 23.8 61.1 • The proposed configuration of the expanded Area Gain Commercial NCA NCA does not directly benefit the FSC fishery as (ha) (Construction Only) more crab fishing area will be lost than gained Area Gain Proposed Expanded 21.0 58.3 (ha) Commercial NCA (Operations Only) Note: ITP Footprint excluded because no longer part of project Summary • Additional measures are required to offset and mitigate the loss of FSC crab fishing area (i.e., Terminal 2) and ensure availability to the resource, without competition with the commercial fishery • PMV has expressed a willingness to look at other measures but it is TFN's position that these need to be worked out further, with TFN input, before a Certificate is granted to the Project, at least at a conceptual level. Robert C. Bocking, MRM, R.P.Bio. President & CEO Senior Fisheries Biologist, LGL Limited EDUCATION • M.R.M. Masters in Natural Resource Management, Simon Fraser University, 1987 • B.Sc. Marine Biology, Honours, University of British Columbia, 1980 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 1987 – present: Senior Fisheries Biologist, LGL Limited environmental research associates, Sidney, B.C. 2010-2019 • Member of the Stakeholder Implementation Committee tasked with providing advice regarding the implementation of a revitalized environmental assessment process in British Columbia. • Senior Fisheries Biologist providing advice to Haida Nation on matters related to marine areas Planning, including seamount and hydrothermal vent marine protection. • Senior Fisheries Biologist providing general oversight and support in project design and execution, particularly in regard to future management and monitoring recommendations for marine recreational fisheries in Haida Gwaii. • Senior Fisheries Biologist (on behalf of Nisga'a Lisims Government) for the review of the Major Mine Application for the Premier mine development in the Nass Area. • Senior Fisheries Biologist providing oversight to a large scale coastal restoration program on WCVI, targeting restoration of estuarine habitats for Chinook salmon. • Program Manager for large scale watershed renewal program within the Ha’houlthee of the Huu-ay-aht First Nations • Senior Fisheries Biologist providing advice to the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Nation on the proposed Coffee Creek gold mine. • Senior Fisheries Biologist (on behalf of Nisga'a Lisims Government) for the review of the Environmental Assessment Application for the Red Mountain mine development in the Nass Area. • Senior Fisheries Biologist providing advice to the Huu-ay-aht First Nation on fisheries matters. • Senior Fisheries Biologist for the development of Habitat-Based Model and Stock-Recruit Productivity Estimates for Coho Salmon in Georgia Strait Mainland, Georgia Strait Vancouver Island and Lower Fraser. • Senior Fisheries Biologist for the assessment of baseline fisheries conditions for water course crossings by the PNG proposed pipeline in the Wet'su'weten First Nation territory. • Senior Fisheries Biologist for the assessment of juvenile salmon presence and life history in the marine portions of the Nass Area (Pacific Fishery Management Area 3). • Senior Fisheries Biologist (on behalf of Nisga'a Lisims Government) for the review of the Environmental Assessment Applications for two LNG pipelines. • Senior Fisheries Biologist (on behalf of Gitga'at First Nation) for the review of the Environmental Assessment Applications for LNG facilities. Robert C. Bocking, LGL Limited – Résumé Page 1 • Senior Fisheries Biologist (on behalf of Wet'su'weten First Nation) for the review of the Environmental Assessment Applications for three LNG pipelines. • Senior Fisheries Biologist for the feasibility assessment of restoring Sockeye Salmon to Powell Lake. • Senior Fisheries Biologist (on behalf of the Tseshaht First Nation) for the review of the Environmental Assessment Application for the Raven Coal Mine on Vancouver Island. • Senior Fisheries Biologist (on behalf of the Maa-nulth First Nations) for the review of the Environmental Assessment Application for the Raven Coal Mine on Vancouver Island. • Senior Fisheries Biologist (on behalf of the Tsawwassen First Nation) for the review of the Environmental Assessment Application for the Vancouver Airport Fuel Delivery Project. • Senior Fisheries Biologist (on behalf of Nisga'a Lisims Government) for the review of Environmental Assessment Applications for numerous small hydro projects in the Nass watershed. • Senior Fisheries Biologist (on behalf of Nisga'a Lisims Government) for the review of the Environmental Assessment Application for the Kitsault mine development in the Nass Area. • Senior Fisheries Biologist (on behalf of Nisga'a Lisims Government) for the review of the Environmental Assessment Application for the Northwest Transmission Line. • Senior Fisheries Biologist (on behalf of Nisga'a Lisims Government) for the review of the Environmental Assessment Application for the Seabridge mine