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

Methods for assessing effectiveness of recovery measures

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

4. Methods for assessing effectiveness of recovery measures

Ideally, the effectiveness of recovery measures would be assessed in relative terms, by comparing the degree of threat abatement with the amount of population recovery. In the absence of such precise information for SLE beluga and causation of the lack of recovery, assessing the effectiveness of recovery measures is to be understood in the context of this review as examining the degree to which measures currently underway as well as those proposed in the existing recovery document have, or will, contribute to abating threats to SLE beluga. Specifically, 11 threats to SLE beluga recovery were identified and characterized in the Recovery Strategy, 10 of which were still current (Table 1). For the purposes of this review, such reductions in threats are presumed to contribute to the achievement of recovery objectives for the population.

Achievements associated with recovery measures were compiled in Table 2, using a reference point corresponding to the year of the SLE beluga SARA listing (i.e., 2005). However, trends in level of threats were examined over longer time periods in some cases given that actions to reduce threats have been undertaken well before 2005 in some cases, either as a result of recommendations from the first recovery plan for SLE beluga posted in 1995 (Bailey and Zinger 1995), or because of concerns for human health. An example of a measure addressing a threat to SLE beluga (contaminants) but undertaken as a result of concerns for human health is the implementation of regulations to control or reduce discharges of highly toxic chemical compounds.

It is noteworthy that the recovery objectives included in the recovery document, were developed at a time when the understanding of the Act was different than it is today. As a result, the recovery document did not take into consideration the 2016-tri-departmental Policy on Survival and Recovery that is posted as proposed on the Species at Risk public registry; therefore, neither does this review.