North Atlantic Right Whale Density Model Outputs and Scientific Support for Entanglement Risk Assessment

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has a requirement to provide scientific advice on the risks of North Atlantic right whale entanglements in non-tended fixed fishing gear to inform management decisions.

The Contractor must provide customized North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW) Density Surface Model (DSM) outputs, along with scientific consultation to support DFO’s entanglement risk assessment. This includes advice on model structure, assumptions, limitations, uncertainty, interpretation, and application; participation in assessment and technical discussions; and post-assessment support.

The work will involve the following

1. Tasks

1.1 Generate Customized Density Model Outputs The Contractor must generate customized density model outputs according to the Project Authority’s requirements.

1.2 Provide Scientific Consultation The Contractor must provide scientific consultation on model assumptions, limitations, uncertainty, interpretation, and application.

1.3 Participate in Technical Meetings and Assessment Activities The Contractor must participate in a kick-off meeting, approximately one technical meeting per month, additional discussions as required, and CSAS assessment and peer review activities, as requested by the Project Authority.

The CSAS assessment is currently planned for December 2027 or January 2028.

1.4 Provide Post-Assessment Support The Contractor must provide post-assessment scientific clarification and technical support, as required by the Project Authority.

2. Deliverables and Acceptance Criteria

2.1 Customized Density Model Outputs

The Contractor must provide customized density model outputs for the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Cabot Strait to support the entanglement risk assessment and scenario evaluation.

The outputs must include

• Weekly density estimates. • Associated standard errors for the weekly density estimates. • Summary tables and spatial products, as required. • Supporting documentation.

Outputs will be provided at the original 5 km grid resolution or aggregated or transformed to DFO’s defined 10 km² hexagonal grid, as required by the Project Authority.

Acceptance Criteria

The deliverable will be accepted when the Project Authority confirms that the outputs

• Are provided in the agreed electronic format. • Cover the requested spatial and temporal areas. • Include weekly density estimates and associated standard errors. • Include sufficient supporting information to understand and use the outputs for the intended assessment.

Delivery Date

Initial outputs must be delivered no later than March 31, 2027. Revisions or supplementary outputs will be provided according to timelines established by the Project Authority in consultation with the Contractor.

2.2 Final Technical Report

The Contractor must provide a final technical report documenting the density model outputs and relevant technical information to support DFO’s entanglement risk assessment.

Acceptance Criteria

The final technical report will be accepted when the Project Authority confirms that it has been provided in the agreed electronic format and contains the technical information required to support the assessment.

Delivery Date

The Contractor must submit the final technical report on or before April 30, 2028.