Research Document - 2013/041
Information in support of a recovery potential assessment of Hickorynut (Obovaria olivaria) in Canada
By L.D. Bouvier, A. Paquet, and T.J. Morris
Abstract
In May 2011, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessed the status of Hickorynut (Obovaria olivaria) and determined the designation to be Endangered. The reason provided for this designation is that, “This freshwater mussel lives in mid-sized to large rivers in southern Ontario and Quebec. There has been an historical decline in the species’ distribution with losses of the populations in the Detroit and Niagara rivers. Other locations are threatened by the continuing invasion of dreissenid mussels. In addition, the one known host of this mussel, the Lake Sturgeon, is at risk and may be declining in some locations where the mussel is known to still occur. The species is also affected by degraded water quality in many freshwater systems in southern Ontario and Quebec”. Hickorynut is currently not listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA).
The Recovery Potential Assessment (RPA) provides information and scientific advice needed to fulfill various requirements of SARA, including informing both scientific and socio-economic elements of the listing decision and permitting activities that would otherwise violate SARA prohibitions and the development of recovery strategies. This Research Document describes the current state of knowledge of the biology, ecology, distribution, population trends, habitat requirements, and threats to Hickorynut. Mitigation measures and alternative activities related to the identified threats, which can be used to protect the species, are also presented. The information contained in the RPA and this document may be used to inform the development of recovery documents and for assessing permits, agreements and related conditions, as per section 73, 74, 75, 77 and 78 of SARA. The scientific information also serves as advice to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) regarding the listing of the species under SARA and is used when analyzing the socio-economic impacts of adding the species to the list as well as during subsequent consultations, where applicable. This assessment considers the available scientific data with which to assess the recovery potential of Hickorynut in Canada.
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