National Recovery Team for White Sturgeon

1. National Recovery Team for White Sturgeon

2. SARA-compliant Recovery Strategy ROMAN

3. Amalgamation of existing plans • Recovery vs. Management

4. Recovery Feasibility • Are individuals capable of reproduction currently available to improve the population growth rate or population abundance? • Is sufficient suitable habitat available to support the species or could it be made available through habitat management or restoration? • Can significant threats to the species or its habitat be avoided or mitigated through recovery actions? • Do the necessary recovery techniques exist and are they demonstrated to be effective? policy doc available

5. Residence “a dwelling-place, such as a den, nest or other similar area or place, that is occupied or habitually occupied by one or more individuals during all or part of their life cycles, including breeding, rearing, staging, wintering, feeding or hibernating” [s.2(1)]. “no person shall damage or destroy the residence of one or more individuals of a wildlife species that is listed as an endangered species or a threatened species, or that is listed as an extirpated species if a recovery strategy has recommended the reintroduction of the species into the wild in Canada” [s.33]. n.b. Redundant to Fisheries Act

6. Residence • Usually the first action to protect components of a species’ habitat. • Gives immediate protection for species and their residences. (residence protection provisions contain prohibitions that are immediate and automatic) • Allows time for the development of recovery strategies and the identification of critical habitat.

7. residence residence Residence critical habitat res habitat • “dwelling place” that is occupied or habitually occupied • subset of general habitat • essential to a species successfully carrying out a specific, crucial function of its life-cycle • used by one or more individuals • not all species have a residence • Critical Habitat is a population-based concept • Residence protection applies to individuals policy doc available

8. Residence • Do individuals of the species use a dwelling place that is physically or functionally similar to a den or nest? • Are these places occupied or habitually occupied by the individual(s)? • Are these places crucially linked to the performance of a specific function? • spawning, incubation, overwintering, staging, holding • None of these activities occurs year-round, so each “residence” is not long-lived, though may be used each year

9. Residence • Rationale & Description • Physical appearance & context • Function • Damage/Destruction • Period & frequency of occupancy policy doc available

10. Knowledge Gaps • Habitat requirements for the major life stages. • Population targets for each life stage in each of the major stock groups. • Threat clarification. • Basic biological data gaps. • How / Where best to fill these? • To what extent do we need to create priorities?

11. Recovery Goal ...ensure the long-term viability of naturally-reproducing populations throughout the species’ natural range, and restore opportunities for beneficial use, if and when feasible.

12. Recovery Objectives • Foster awareness of white sturgeon and its conservation status. Encourage active local involvement in stewardship and habitat protection. • Maintain, and where possible enhance, the ecological integrity of habitat for white sturgeon. • Increase scientific understanding of white sturgeon through additional investigation of its natural history, critical habitat and threats to the species’ persistence. • Improve both the scientific and social basis for population targets for each of the major stocks of white sturgeon. Refine these targets and identify appropriate time frames for achieving targets, through appropriate consultative processes. • Reach downlisting criteria by: • reaching and maintaining a natural population age structure, • reaching and maintaining a natural population genetic diversity, and • reach population targets throughout the species’ natural distribution. • Identify and quantify white sturgeon habitat availability and condition; make recommendations for critical habitat designation. • Track the status of white sturgeon populations and their response to management actions by developing and implementing scientifically-defensible monitoring programs. • Address basic biology data gaps (life history, habitat use, etc.) required to support conservation management approaches for this species. • Address specific data gaps to support improved assessment and prioritization of threats, and develop recommendations to address threats as required. • If consistent with SARA and conservation objectives, define the biological and social conditions that would allow for opportunities for beneficial use of white sturgeon. • Support and implement recommendations in the recovery strategy. Review and update the strategy at least every 5 years.

13. Strategies / Approaches • quick review of strategies for each stock • are there any that have been changed/deleted/added? • Is the National Strategy simply a matter of repeating these? • To what extent do we need to develop priorities?

14. Next Steps • Second meeting. where? when? • Develop first draft of the National Strategy • Review and return prior to next meeting • Communicate with Regional TWGs & CWGs • Specific action items