Review of the Effectiveness of Recovery Measures for St. Lawrence Estuary Beluga

Objective of this review

Table of Contents

• Complete Text
• 1. Context/Background
• 2. Objective of this review
• 3. Sources of information
• 4. Methods for assessing effectiveness of recovery measures
• 5. Review of Recovery Measures
  • 5.1 Recovery Objectives
  • 5.2 Threats
  • 5.3 Review of Recovery Measures
• 6. Effectiveness of recovery measures and recommended changes or additions
  • 6.1 Overall Assessment of the Effectiveness of Recovery Measures
  • 6.2 Effectiveness of threat-based recovery measures, and recommended improvements
    • 6.2.1 Recovery measures associated with objective 1. Reduce contaminants in beluga, their prey, and their habitat
      • 6.2.1.1 Effectiveness of actions
      • 6.2.1.2 Focus of improvements to current recovery measures and additional measures
      • 6.2.1.3 Monitoring and research to support recommended recovery measures
    • 6.2.2 Recovery measures associated with objective 2. Reduce anthropogenic disturbances
      • 6.2.2.1 Effectiveness of actions
      • 6.2.2.2 Focus of improvements to current recovery measures and additional measures
      • 6.2.2.3 Monitoring and research to support recommended recovery measures
    • 6.2.3 Recovery measures associated with objective 3. Ensure adequate and accessible food supplies
      • 6.2.3.1 Effectiveness of actions
      • 6.2.3.2 Focus of improvements to current recovery measures and additional measures
      • 6.2.3.3 Monitoring and research to support recommended recovery measures
    • 6.2.4 Recovery measures associated with objective 4. Mitigate the effects of other threats to population recovery
      • 6.2.4.1 Effectiveness of actions
      • 6.2.4.2 Focus of improvements to current recovery measures and additional measures
      • 6.2.4.3 Monitoring and research to support recommended recovery measures
    • 6.2.5 Recovery measures associated with objective 5. Protect the beluga's habitat in its entire distribution range
      • 6.2.5.1 Effectiveness of actions
      • 6.2.5.2 Focus of improvements to current recovery measures and additional measures
      • 6.2.5.3 Monitoring and research to support recommended recovery measures
    • 6.2.6 Recovery objective 6. Ensure regular monitoring of the St. Lawrence Estuary beluga population
      • 6.2.6.1 Effectiveness of actions
      • 6.2.6.2 Focus of improvements to current and additional monitoring measures
• 7. Conclusions
• 8. Acknowledgements
• 9. Literature Cited
• Appendix 1

2. Objective of this review

This document presents the recovery measures that have been developed as part of the Recovery Strategy for the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas), St. Lawrence Estuary population in Canada (hereafter referred to as the "Recovery Strategy") (DFO 2012), identifies those that have been implemented (or not yet implemented) to support the conservation and protection of the population throughout its range, and assesses their overall effectiveness for achieving population recovery. This document provides a review from a scientific perspective only, and considers the effectiveness of recovery measures in terms of their ability to reduce threats that have been identified and associated with the endangered status of the population. This review also aims to identify how recovery objectives can be better achieved by accelerating implementation of recovery measures already identified but not underway, by identifying possible new measures, and by providing guidance on the relative priority that needs to be given to each of these measures to promote recovery.