Fish Habitat Assessment Approaches

Fish Habitat Assessment

Fish habitat assessment is carried out using a range of approaches and methods, depending upon:

The types and sensitivity of the fish habitat
Degree of rigour required
Extent of the project and potential harm to fish habitat
Degree of risk to fish and fish habitat
Importance of the fish in terms of supporting a fishery or status as a species at risk
Etc.

Many publications have been written outlining methodologies. A few are highlighted below.

Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) and Habitat Suitability Indices (HSI)

Standardized Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) and Habitat Suitability Indices (HSI) are frequently used as a way to evaluate habitat and quantify losses and gains in productive fish habitat.

Habitat Suitability Models have been developed by the U.S. Geological Survey National Wetlands Research Centre. These were developed for species found in the U.S. and frequently must be adapted for the same species in other locations.

Defensible Methods

Jones, M.L., R.G. Randall, D. Hayes, W. Dunlop, J. Imhof, G. Lacroix and N. Ward. 1995. Assessing the ecological effects of habitat change: moving beyond productive capacity. Can, J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 53(Suppl.): 446-457 (1996).

Minns, C.K., Meisner, J.D., Moore, J.E., Grieg, L.A., and Randall, R.G. 1995. Defensible methods for pre- and post- development assessment of fish habitat in the Great Lakes. I. A prototype method for headlands and offshore structures. Can. MS Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2328.

Minns, C.K. 1996. Quantifying "no net loss" of productivity of fish habitats. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 54: 2463-2473 (1997).

Bradbury, C., M.M. Roberge and C.K. Minns. 1999. Life History Characteristics of Freshwater Fishes Occurring in Newfoundland and Labrador, with Major Emphasis on Lake Habitat Requirements. Canadian Manuscript Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences No. 2485.

Coker, G.A., C.B. Portt and C.K. Minns. 2001 Morphological Characteristics of Canadian Freshwater Fishes. Canadian Manuscript Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences No. 2554.

Jones, N.E., W.M. Tonn, G.J. Scrimgeour and C. Katapodis. Productive capacity of an artificial stream in the Canadian Arctic: assessing the effectiveness of fish habitat compensation. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 60: 849-863 (2003).

Jones, N.E. and W.M. Tonn. 2004. Resource selection functions for age-0 Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) and their application to stream habitat compensation. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 61: 1736-1747.

Packman, G.A., D. Harper, S. Samis and D. Lampi. 2006. Review of approaches for estimating changes in productive capacity from whole lake / stream destruction and related compensation projects. Canadian Technical Report on Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.

Lewis, A., Hatfield, T., Chilibeck, B. and Roberts, C. 2004. Assessment Methods for Aquatic Habitat and Instream Flow Characteristics in Support of Applications to Dam, Divert, or Extract Water from Streams in British Columbia. Prepared for: Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection and Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management.

Fay, C., M. Bartron, S. Craig, A. Hecht, J. Pruden, R. Saunders, T. Sheehan and J. Trial. 2006. Status Review for Anadromous Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) in the United States. Report to the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 294 pages.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada Interim Guideline to Information Requirements for Environmental Assessment of Marine Shellfish Aquaculture Projects (2002)

Fisheries and Oceans Canada - DFO Marine Fish Habitat Information Requirements for Finfish Aquaculture Projects (2004)

Information Requirements in British Columbia

Assessment Methods for Aquatic Habitat and Instream Flow Characteristics in Support of Applications to Dam, Divert or Extract Water from Streams in British Columbia - March 2004