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Recovery Potential Assessment - Striped Bass Populations of Miramichi, Bay of Fundy and St. Lawrence Estuary

Meeting of the Gulf Regional Advisory Process

November 30 – December 2, 2005
Moncton, New Brunswick

Background

In November 2004, three designatable units of Striped Bass were considered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). The Miramichi and Bay of Fundy DUs were both designated as Threatened TH) while that of the St. Lawrence Estuary was designated as Extirpated (EX). These DUs are being considered for listing in Schedule 1 of the Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA). For DUs designated and listed under SARA as EN or TH, activities that would harm the species would be prohibited and a recovery plan would be required. Until such a plan is available, section 73 (2) of SARA authorizes competent Ministers to permit otherwise prohibited activities affecting a listed wildlife species, any part of its critical habitat, or the residences of its individuals. These activities can only be authorized, 1) if the activity is scientific research relating to the conservation of the species and conducted by qualified persons, 2) or benefits the species 3) or is required to enhance its chances of survival in the wild, 4) or affecting the species is incidental to the carrying out of the activity.

Decisions made on permitting of incidental harm and in support of recovery planning need to be informed by the impact of human activities on the species, alternatives and mitigation measures to these and the potential for recovery. An evaluation framework, consisting of three phases (species status, scope for human induced harm and mitigation) has been established by DFO to allow determination of whether or not SARA incidental harm permits can be issued.

To inform decisions relating to listing of the Miramichi and Bay of Fundy Striped Bass DUs and their recovery planning, the meeting participants will review analyses prepared to meet the objectives stated below.

Objective

For each Designable Unit (DU):

Phase I: Species Status
  1. Evaluate present species trajectory
  2. Evaluate present species status
  3. Evaluate expected order of magnitude / target for recovery
  4. Evaluate expected general time frame for recovery to the target
  5. Evaluate Residence-Habitat Requirements
Phase II: Scope for Human – Induced Mortality
  1. Evaluate maximum human-induced mortality which the species can sustain and not jeopardize survival or recovery of the species
  2. Document major potential sources of mortality/harm
  3. For those factors NOT dismissed, quantify to the extent possible the amount of mortality or harm caused by each activity.
  4. Aggregate total mortality / harm attributable to all human causes and contrast with that determined in task 5
Phase III: Mitigation and Alternatives

To the extent possible,

  1. Develop an inventory of all reasonable alternatives to the activities in task 7, but with potential for less impact. (e.g. different gear)
  2. Develop an inventory of all feasible measures to minimize the impacts of activities in task 7
  3. Document the expected harm after implementing mitigation measures as described and determine whether survival or recovery is in jeopardy after considering cumulative sources of impacts

Products

List of requested and tentative participation Participation requise et tentative

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