Science Advisory Report 2010/051

Recovery potential assessment of Lake Sturgeon: Assiniboine-Red Rivers – Lake Winnipeg populations (Designatable Unit 4)

Summary

• Eight Management Units (MUs) have been identified for DU4: MU1 is the Assiniboine River and tributaries upstream of the Portage la Prairie Diversion, MU2 is the Red River and tributaries upstream of Lockport, including the Assiniboine River to the Portage la Prairie Diversion, MU3 is the Red River downstream of Lockport, MUs 4-7 are the Bloodvein, Pigeon, Berens and Poplar rivers, respectively, and MU8 is Lake Winnipeg, including the Winnipeg River below Pine Falls Generating Station (GS).
• Available data and expert opinion indicate that very low numbers of Lake Sturgeon are now present throughout much of DU4.
• The indigenous populations of Lake Sturgeon in MUs 1-3 are extirpated, or functionally extirpated; the current status, trajectory and recovery potential of the stocked fish in MUs 1-3 is critical, increasing and unknown, respectively.
• The current status, trajectory and potential for recovery of MUs 4-7 are unknown except in the Ontario portion of Berens River (MU6) where recent information suggests they are cautious, increasing and high, respectively.
• In MU8, population status is critical, trajectory is unknown and recovery potential is low.
• Survival and recovery of Lake Sturgeon in DU4 depend on maintaining the functional attributes of habitat, including the ecologically-based flow regimes needed for spawning, egg incubation, juvenile rearing, summer feeding and overwintering, as well as migration routes between these habitats.
• The long-term recovery goal for DU4 is to protect and maintain healthy, viable populations of Lake Sturgeon in all MUs within the Red-Assiniboine Rivers – Lake Winnipeg system.
• The most important current threats to survival and recovery of Lake Sturgeon in DU4 are habitat degradation or loss resulting from agriculture, urban development, dams/impoundments and other barriers and industrial activities, and mortality, injury or reduced survival resulting from bycatch from the commercial fishery on Lake Winnipeg.
• Mitigation measures that would aid recovery include including protection of habitat, prevention of mortality and public education.
• Activities that damage or destroy functional components of habitat or key life components of the life cycle pose a very high risk to the survival or recovery of Lake Sturgeon in MUs 1-3 and 8, high to very high risk in MUs 4, 5, 7 and the Manitoba portion of MU6 and moderate risk in the Ontario portion of MU6.

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