Science Advisory Report 2015/002
Recovery Potential Assessment For Eulachon – Fraser River Designatable Unit
Summary
- Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus) is a semelparous smelt that ranges from California to the Bering Sea.
- The species has experienced range-wide declines and possible local extirpation in some river systems.
- The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada has assessed three populations (or Designatable Units) in Canada: Fraser River as Endangered, Central Pacific Coast as Endangered and Nass/Skeena Rivers as species of Special Concern.
- A Recovery Potential Assessment was undertaken to assess the possibilities of recovery of the designatable units to recommend population targets, assess threats and propose mitigations for activities that may be causing harm to the species.
- Eulachon are extremely important culturally to coastal First Nations and their traditional knowledge of the species and its biology played an important role in contributing to this report. However, there are many knowledge gaps about basic biology and life history parameters that limit the scope in predicting recovery times and giving recommendations on allowable harm.
This Science Advisory Report is from the January 25-26, 2012 meeting on the Recovery Potential Assessment for Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus) Nass/Skeena, Central Pacific Coast and Fraser River Designatable Units. Additional publications from this process will be posted on the Fisheries and Oceans Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science Advisory Schedule as they become available.
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