Terms of Reference

Recovery Potential Assessment of Spotted Gar

Regional Advisory Meeting

23-24 June, 2010
Burlington Art Centre, Burlington ON

Co-Chairs: Nicholas Mandrak and Marten Koops

Background

In May 2005, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) designated the Spotted Gar as Threatened. The reason for designation being that this species has a very limited range in Canada where it is only known from three coastal wetlands in Lake Erie. Spotted Gar was subsequently added to Schedule I of the Species at Risk Act (SARA). 

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science has been asked to undertake a Recovery Potential Assessment (RPA) for the Spotted Gar. DFO Science developed the RPA framework to provide the information and scientific advice required for the Department to meet various requirements of SARA including listing decisions, authorizations to carry out activities that would otherwise violate SARA and the development of recovery strategies. The RPA may be used to inform both scientific and socio-economic elements of the listing decision, as well as development of a recovery strategy and action plan,  and to support decision-making with regards to the issuance of permits, agreements and related conditions, as per section 73, 74, 75, 77 and 78 of SARA.

This advisory meeting is being held to assess the recovery potential of Spotted Gar. The resulting RPA Science Advisory Report will summarize the current understanding of the distribution, abundance and trend of this species, along with recovery targets and times to recovery while considering various management scenarios. The current state of knowledge about habitat requirements, threats to both habitat and Spotted Gar, and measures to mitigate these impacts, will also be included in the Science Advisory Report. 

Objectives

The intent of this meeting is to assess the recovery potential of Spotted Gar using the RPA framework outlined in the Revised Protocol for Conducting Recovery Potential Assessments. The advice will be provided to the DFO Minister for her consideration in meeting various requirements of 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 will be CSAS Research Document(s) produced from the working paper(s) presented at the meeting. Advice from the meeting will be published in the form of a Science Advisory Report. 

Participants

Experts from DFO, Ontario Parks, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Royal Ontario Museum, Parks Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, conservation authorities and academia have been invited to this meeting. Participants will not exceed a maximum of 30 people.