Salish Sucker Recovery and Management
Transcription
Salish Sucker Recovery and Management
Salish Sucker Recovery and Management Mike Pearson Pearson Ecological, Agassiz BC mike@pearsonecological.com Outline • • • • Salish sucker biology and distribution Threats and approaches to stewardship New information The legal quagmire Global Distribution Canadian Distribution Distribution Within Watersheds •A small amount of habitat supports most of the population 4 0 4 8 Kilometers •These ‘hotspots’ are clumped together Habitat by Life Stage Spawning Juvenile Adult Current Status • 11 known populations • Dangerously low numbers in some watersheds • ‘Endangered’ under Species at Risk Act • Red Listed in British Columbia Major Threats to Salish Sucker Severe Hypoxia •Major concern in 6 watersheds Habitat Loss •Major concern in 6 watersheds Gordon’s Brook 2001 Gordon’s Brook, Langley, 2004 Salish Sucker Density 30 20 2007 2002 2010 15 10 2004 5 CPUE 8.5 7.5 6.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 1.5 0 0.5 Frequency 25 Bertrand Creek Salmon River Salmon River Salwein Creek Hypoxia Hypoxia Nutrient Loading Lack of Shade Dead Zones Little Campbell River Photos Courtesy of A Rocha Canada Bertrand/Howe’s Creek Howe’s Creek Agassiz Slough The Legal Quagmire Recovery Strategies for Salish sucker and Nooksack dace submitted August 2005 DFO removed critical habitat maps before publication in 2006 “This is a story about the creation and application of a policy by the Minister in clear contravention of the law, and a reluctance to be held accountable for failure to follow the law.” – Justice Douglas Campbell - September 2009 Critical Habitat Protection Current DFO Position: Fisheries Act provides adequate protection to Critical Habitat Strong resistance from agriculture and local government officials to any SARA regulation Thank-you Discussion/Feedback Funding Dr. Michael Healey Dr. Jordan Rosenfeld Dr. Todd Hatfield Recovery Team Habitat Conservation Trust Fund Endangered Species Recovery Fund Habitat Stewardship Program BC MOE Field Assistance John-Paul Palmer Tyese Patton Joan Pearson Monica Pearson Detmar Schwichtenberg Kerstin Schwichtenberg Dr. Vladimir Souchachev Jill Miners Field Gear & Facilities GVRD Parks Pepindale Nursery Holberg Farm BC MOE ENGO Partners Langley Environmental Partners Society Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition Fraser-Harrison Smart Growth