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

Sources of information

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

3. Sources of information

The Recovery Strategy for SLE beluga was published in 2012 (DFO 2012). The Recovery Strategy outlines the interim recovery goal for the species, recovery objectives, broad strategies, and recovery measures that should be implemented to achieve recovery, as well as performance indicators to define and measure progress toward achieving the population and distribution objectives. In addition to this SARA recovery document, an Action Plan to address noise issues in the St. Lawrence Estuary, which is under development and is to be posted in 2017, was also consulted for the development of this review. Other sources of information used include primarily scientific primary literature, and reports from DFO and other departments or agencies of the Government of Canada.