Science Advisory Report 2010/081

Science Advice from a Risk Assessment of Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) in British Columbia

Summary

• Yellow Perch is not native to British Columbia. Introduced populations have established in watersheds surrounding British Columbia and Yellow Perch has been found in waterbodies within British Columbia.
• A risk assessment was conducted to estimate the threat posed to British Columbia’s aquatic ecosystems by the introduction of Yellow Perch. The risk assessment addressed the likelihood of introduction (arrival, survival, reproduction and spread) as well as the ecological consequences to the native biodiversity and ecosystem functioning should Yellow Perch become established. The risk assessment also assessed the threat posed by Yellow Perch as vectors for diseases and parasites.
• The likelihood of survival, reproduction and spread was considered moderate to very high with a moderate to high uncertainty in all watersheds assessed.
• The ecological impact was considered to be very high with low uncertainty in small waterbodies (<1000 ha) and moderate with high uncertainty in large waterbodies. The risk of genetic consequence was considered very low with low uncertainty.
• The ecological impacts, caused by introduction of parasites and diseases with Yellow Perch, were determined to be low with very high uncertainty.
• The scale of this risk assessment is large. If risk posed to a specific waterbody is required, the details of that waterbody need to be evaluated to determine its specific risk.

This Science Advisory Report is from the Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, regional advisory meeting of March 4-6, 2008 on Risk assessment of spiny-rayed fishes (six species). Additional publications from this process will be posted as they become available on the DFO Science Advisory Schedule.

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