Research Document 2019/063

Information in support of a recovery potential assessment of River Darter, Percina shumardi (Great Lakes-Upper St. Lawrence populations) in Ontario

By Sawatzky, C.D.

Abstract

In May 2016, a meeting of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) recommended that River Darter, Percina shumardi (Great Lakes-Upper St. Lawrence populations, designatable unit [DU] 3) be designated Endangered. The reason given for this designation is “This is a small-bodied species that inhabits medium to large rivers and shorelines of larger lakes. It has a very restricted distribution, occurs at few locations, and is exposed to high risk of threats from shoreline hardening, exotic species such as Round Goby, dams and water management, dredging, nutrients and effluents from urban waste, spills, and agriculture” (COSEWIC 2016, p. iii). The species was previously assessed as a single unit in April 1989 and was designated Not at Risk (Dalton 1989).

The Recovery Potential Assessment (RPA) provides information and scientific advice needed to fulfill various requirements of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) including informing both scientific and socioeconomic elements of the listing decision and permitting activities that would otherwise violate SARA prohibitions and the development of recovery strategies. This Research Document describes the current state of knowledge of the biology, ecology, distribution, population trends, habitat requirements, and threats to River Darter (Great Lakes-Upper St. Lawrence populations). Mitigation measures and alternative activities related to identified threats, which can be used to protect the species, are also presented. The information contained in the RPA and this document may be used to inform the development of recovery documents and for assessing permits, agreements, and related conditions, as per sections 73, 74, 75, 77, 78 and 83(4) of the SARA. It may also be used to prepare for the reporting requirements of SARA s.55. The scientific information also serves as advice to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) regarding the listing of the species under the SARA and is used when analyzing the socio-economic impacts of adding the species to the list as well as during subsequent consultations, where applicable. This assessment considers the available scientific data pertaining to the recovery of River Darter (Great Lakes-Upper St. Lawrence populations) in Ontario. The advice generated via this process will update and/or consolidate any existing advice regarding River Darter (Great Lakes-Upper St. Lawrence populations).

Research Document 2019/063 (PDF, 1,983 KB)

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