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Recovery Potential Assessment for Spring Cisco

Regional Advisory Meeting

December 8, 2009

545, boulevard Crémazie Est 201, Room 808

Montréal, QC.

Chairperson: Charley Cyr

Context

In April 2009, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) designated the spring cisco as Endangered. The rationale for the designation is due to the species' occurrence in only one small lake in south-western Quebec; it has undergone a drastic decline in abundance which could be related to a number of factors including habitat degradation and loss resulting from urban and agricultural development, the introduction of non-native species and climate change.

A recovery potential assessment (RPA) process was therefore set up by DFO Science in order to provide the information and scientific advice required to meet the various requirements of the Species at Risk Act (SARA), including listing decisions, authorizations to carry out activities that would otherwise violate the SARA and development of recovery strategies.

Objectives

The objective of this meeting is to assess each of the following elements, to the extent possible, in order to determine the potential for recovery of the spring cisco.

Situation and Trends

  1. Evaluate the present status of the spring cisco’s abundance, range, and number of populations.
  2. Evaluate the recent trajectory for the spring cisco in terms of abundance, range, and number of populations.
  3. Estimate the current or recent life-history parameters for the spring cisco (total mortality, natural mortality, fecundity, maturity, recruitment, etc) or reasonable surrogates; and describe associated uncertainties for all parameters.

    Recovery Objectives

  4. Estimate expected abundance and distribution targets for recovery, according to DFO guidelines (DFO 2005).

    Habitat Characterization

  5. Based on the species’ habitat requirements, assess the biological functions provided by various habitat characteristics.
  6. Considering the biological functions provided by certain habitat characteristics and components, assess the impact on the species of modifying (quality and quantity) these characteristics. Quantify if possible.
  7. Provide advice on how much habitat of various qualities / properties exists at present.
  8. Provide advice on any tradeoffs (i.e., pros and cons) associated with habitat allocation options, if any options would be available at the time when specific areas are designated as Critical Habitat.
  9. Assess the degree to which the supply of suitable habitat meets the demands of the spring cisco, both current and future, i.e. when recovery targets have been met.
  10. Evaluate residence requirements for the spring cisco, if any.

    Threats

  11. Quantify the magnitude of each potential source of mortality identified in the COSEWIC Status Report, from DFO sectors, and other sources.
  12. Identify the activities most likely to result in threats to the functional properties of habitat of the spring cisco and provide information on the extent to which various threats can alter the quality and/or quantity of habitat that is available.
  13. Establish a classification of threats based on the extent of the consequences evaluated in order to guide recovery activities.

    Mitigation and Alternatives

  14. Develop an inventory of all feasible mitigation measures that could be used to minimize the threats to the spring cisco and its habitat.
  15. Develop an inventory of all reasonable alternatives to activities that are threats to the spring cisco and its habitat, but which impact can be mitigated.
  16. Develop an inventory of activities that could increase the productivity or survival of the spring cisco.
  17. Provide advice on feasibility of restoring habitat to higher values, if supply may not meet demand by the time recovery targets would be reached.
  18. Estimate the expected impact on abundance and distribution of the spring cisco from identified mitigation measures, alternatives, recovery activities, and activities that may alter the productivity or survival of the spring cisco.
  19. Establish priorities in terms of recovery activities based on the evaluated impact on the survival and recovery of the spring cisco.

    Assessment of Recovery Potential

  20. Given current population dynamics parameters and associated uncertainties, project expected population trajectories over three generations (or other biologically reasonable time), and trajectories over time to the recovery target using DFO guidelines on long-term projections (Shelton et al. 2007).
  21. Given the mortality and productivity rates associated with the various possible scenarios, project expected population trajectories over three generations (or other biologically reasonable time) and their growth over the period required to reach the recovery objective.
  22. Assess the probability that the recovery targets can be achieved under current population dynamics parameters, and how that probability would vary with different mortality rates (especially lower) and productivity rates (especially higher).

Outputs

CSAS Science Advisory Report
CSAS Proceedings of meeting

Participants

Experts from the DFO, the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune du Québec and from the University community are invited to this meeting.

References

DFO. 2005. A Framework for Developing Science Advice on Recovery Targets for Aquatic Species in the Context of the Species At Risk Act. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2005/054.

DFO. 2007a. Revised Protocol for Conducting Recovery Potential Assessments. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2007/039

DFO. 2007b. Documenting habitat use of species at risk and quantifying habitat quality. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2007/038.

Shelton, P.A., B. Best, A. Cass, C. Cyr, D. Duplisea, J. Gibson, M. Hammill, S. Khwaja, M. Koops, K. Martin, B. O’Boyle, J. Rice, A. Sinclair, K. Smedbol, D. Swain, L. Velez-Espino and C. Wood, 2007. Assessing recovery potential: long-term projections and their implications for socio-economic analysis. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2007/045.

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