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Résumé :
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It is important to be able to assess the impacts of multiple stressors on aquatic ecosystems. Although there is now a regulatory requirement in Canada to conduct cumulative effects assessments, there are no widely accepted techniques for accomplishing this. Many of the attempts to examine cumulative effects approach the issue by focusing on the stressors that are involved and their known pathways of impact. We approached the problem from a different perspective, using the performance of fish in the watershed to direct us to areas in which performance is compromised by existing conditions. This effects based approach allows the resident fish to integrate the existing stressors to give us insight into the factors affecting performance of the system, and providing a focus for future risk assessments. The Moose River basin is located in Northern Ontario and is sparsely populated. Its tributaries range from a heritage river with minimal development to rivers with large, multiple industrial developments. The project was funded from 1991 to 1999 through multiple sources, including the Canadian Electricity Association, Ontario Hydro, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Petroleum Energy Research and Development Program, Environment Canada, and the National Water Research Institute. The goal of the project was to develop a protocol and framework for undertaking cumulative effects assessments of fish populations. The book describes the methodology and philosophy behind the approach and includes a proposed interpretation framework for decision making that focuses on sustainability and acceptability of changes rather than the traditional focus on impact assessment.
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