Terms of Reference

Regional Advisory Meeting

Recovery Potential Assessment of the Eastern Pondmussel

March 20, 2008

Burlington, ON

Chairperson: Todd Morris

Background

In May 2007, The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) designated the Eastern Pondmussel (Ligumia nasuta) as Endangered. Assuming that an extended listing process needs to be undertaken for this taxon, the Minister will be required to decide whether or not to list it under the SARA by fall 2008. In the interim, a Recovery Potential Assessment (RPA) and subsequent socio-economic analysis and listing consultations need to be conducted.

The purposes of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) are to protect wild species at risk and their habitats in Canada, and to promote their recovery. SARA prohibits killing, harming, harassing capturing or taking individuals of a species listed under the Act as threatened, endangered or extirpated. The SARA also prohibits damaging or destroying their residence or any part of their critical habitat. Furthermore, the SARA provides for the preparation of a recovery strategy for species listed as threatened, endangered or extirpated. The provisions of these recovery strategies must ensure that any possible threat to a given species and its habitat does not jeopardize its survival and recovery.

Section 73 (2) of the SARA provides the competent minister with the authority to permit normally prohibited activities affecting a listed species, its critical habitat, or its residence, even though they are not part of a previously approved recovery plan. Such activities can only be approved if: 1) they are scientific research relating to the conservation of the species and conducted by qualified persons; 2) they will benefit the species and are required to enhance its chance of survival in the wild; or, 3) affecting the species is incidental to the carrying out of these activities.

The decision to permit allowable harm and the development of a recovery strategy must take into consideration the species’ current situation and its recovery potential. The recovery potential considers the impacts of human activities on the species and on its ability to recover, as well as the alternatives and measures to reduce these impacts to a level which will not jeopardize the survival and recovery of the species.

Therefore, a species RPA process was developed by DFO Science to provide the information and scientific advice required to meet the various requirements of the SARA, such as the authorization to carry out activities that would otherwise violate the SARA as well as the development of recovery strategies. In the case of a species that has not yet been added to Appendix 1 of the SARA, the scientific information also serves as advice to the DFO Minister regarding the listing of the species under SARA. Consequently, the information is used when analyzing the socio-economic impacts of listing the species and during subsequent consultations.

Objectives

The intent of this meeting is to assess the recovery potential of the Eastern Pondmussel. It is a science-based peer review of the species unit assigned by COSEWIC and the 17 steps in the RPA framework outlined in the Appendix. The advice will be provided to the DFO Minister for his consideration in any listing decision under SARA for this species.

Products

The meeting will generate a proceedings report summarizing the deliberations of the participants. This will be published in the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) Proceedings Series. There may be CSAS Research Document(s) produced in relation to the working paper(s) presented at the workshop. The advice from the meeting will be published in the form of a Science Advisory Report.

Participants

Participants from DFO (Science, Habitat Management and Policy sectors), Environment Canada, academic institutions and the private sector will be included. Participants will not exceed a maximum of 20 people.

Appendix

Topics that should usually be covered in a recovery potential assessment.

The topics (from the national framework) for which an assessment should be done for any species/designatable unit is as follows:

Phase I: Assess current/recent species status

To the extent possible with the information available and taking account of uncertainties:

1. Evaluate present species status for abundance, range and number of populations.

2. Evaluate recent species trajectory for abundance, range, and number of populations.

3. Estimate, to the extent that information allows, the current or recent life history parameters for the species (total mortality [Z], natural mortality[m], fecundity, maturity, recruitment, etc.) or reasonable surrogates, and associated uncertainties for all parameters.

4. Address the separate terms of reference for describing and quantifying (to the extent possible) the habitat requirements and habitat use patterns of the species.

5. Estimate expected population and distribution targets for recovery, according to DFO guidelines.

6. Project expected population trajectories over three generations (or other biologically reasonable time), and trajectories over time to the recovery target (if possible to achieve), given current population dynamics parameters and associated uncertainties using DFO guidelines on long-term projections.

7. Evaluate residence requirements for the species, if any.

Phase II: Scope for management to facilitate recovery.

To the extent possible with the information available and taking account of uncertainties:

8. Assess the probability that the recovery targets can be achieved under current rates of population dynamics parameters, and how that probability would vary with different mortality (especially lower) and productivity (especially higher) parameters.

9. Quantify to the extent possible the magnitude of each major potential source of mortality identified in the pre-COSEWIC RAP and considering information in COSEWIC Status Report, from DFO sectors, and other sources.

10. Quantify to the extent possible the likelihood that the current quantity and quality of habitat is sufficient to allow population increase, and would be sufficient to support a population that has reached its recovery targets (using the same methods as in step 4)

11. Assess to the extent possible the magnitude by which current threats to habitats have reduced habitat quantity and quality.

Phase III: Scenarios for mitigation and alternative to activities To the extent possible with the information available and taking account of uncertainties:

12. Using input from all DFO sectors and other sources as appropriate, develop an inventory of all feasible measures to minimize/mitigate the impacts of activities that are threats to the species and its habitat (steps 9 and 11).

13. Using input from all DFO sectors and other sources as appropriate, develop an inventory of all reasonable alternatives to the activities that are threats to the species and its habitat (steps 9 and 11), but with potential for less impact. (e.g. changing gear in fisheries causing bycatch mortality, relocation of activities harming habitat)

14. Using input from all DFO sectors and other sources as appropriate, develop an inventory of all reasonable and feasible activities that could increase the productivity or survivorship parameters (steps 3 and 8).

15. Estimate, to the extent possible, the reduction in mortality rate expected by each of the mitigation measures in step 12 or alternatives in step 13 and the increase in productivity or survivorship associated with each measure in step14.

16. Project expected population trajectory (and uncertainties) over three generations (or other biologically reasonable time), and to the time of reaching recovery targets when recovery is feasible; given mortality rates and productivities from 15 that are associated with specific scenarios identified for exploration. Include scenarios which provide as high a probability of survivorship and recovery as possible for biologically realistic parameter values.

17. Recommend parameter values for population productivity and starting mortality rates, and where necessary, specialized features of population models that would be required to allow exploration of additional scenarios as part of the assessment of economic, social, and cultural impacts of listing the species.