Research Document 2018/065

Conservation value to assisting live-stranded neonates and entrapped juvenile beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) from the St. Lawrence Estuary population

By Hammill, M.O., and Lesage, V.

Abstract

The potential benefits of relocating live stranded or entrapped beluga to recovery of the St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) beluga population were examined using a demographic model. The population is currently declining and information on reproduction rates are lacking. It is not possible to determine if the current decline is due to low reproductive rates, elevated mortality among neonates, or both. Adult survival is already quite high and there is unlikely much room for further improvement. Efforts to improve survival of neonates and juveniles are most likely to benefit population recovery. However, considerable numbers of animals must be assisted and successfully relocated each year to improve survival and halt the decline in population trend. Reports of live-stranded neonates or entrapped juveniles are infrequent. Therefore, the benefit of relocating these few individuals to population recovery is nil, and does not meet the objectives of Conservation Translocation. The occurrences of entrapped juveniles are rare, but if in good health these animals are more likely to survive when relocated compared to abandoned neonates. From a conservation perspective, the benefit of relocating entrapped juveniles to the population as a whole is likely nil given the rarity of these events. However, relocating these individuals may be considered on other grounds. Some of the factors that need to be considered have been identified (e.g. DFO Release and Rehabilitation Criteria).

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