Summary of Species at Risk Act Management Scenarios: Upper Fraser River White Sturgeon Designatable Unit

PDF Document

Management scenarios describe alternative management approaches to mitigate human threats to a species in the event that it is, or is not, listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). The management scenarios for the Upper Fraser River White Sturgeon designatable unit (DU) were developed in consultation with Fisheries and Oceans Canada staff from Resource Management, Conservation and Protection, and Fisheries Protection Program as well as staff from the Province of British Columbia. First Nation and stakeholder input were considered in the development of the management scenarios.

The scenarios are not a binding commitment, rather, they represent the most reasonable and feasible approaches which may be undertaken to recover the species, given the best information currently available. Management of the species will rely on an adaptive and iterative process that systematically incorporates the lessons learned from scientific or technical information, policies and practices, and other new information as it arises. As such, measures identified here are subject to change as more scientific or technical information becomes available.

Management Scenario 0: Baseline

This scenario describes measures that were in place during the 2017 fishing season when development of these management scenarios commenced. The Baseline Scenario sets the standard from which the changes described in the other scenarios will be measured.

Management Scenario 1: Do Not List

This scenario outlines mitigation measures to be implemented under other legislation (e.g., Fisheries Act) if the Upper Fraser River White Sturgeon is declined for listing under Schedule 1 of SARA.

Management Scenario 2: List

This scenario outlines measures in addition to the baseline scenario that would be implemented if the species is listed as Endangered under SARA with general prohibitions in place with limited scope to issue Section 73 permits and Section 83 exemptions for indirect harm. Such proposed activities are detailed here.

Note that measures are generally interpreted to be incremental, as they advance from the Baseline, to Do Not List, and to List.

1. General SARA requirements

Managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada

1.1. Currently implemented measures

The Nechako River and Upper Fraser River White Sturgeon Nationally Significant Populations (NSPs) are listed under SARA, therefore general SARA requirements apply. Under SARA (S.32), it is prohibited to kill, harm, harass, capture, take, possess, collect, buy, sell or trade Nechako River and Upper Fraser River White Sturgeon NSPs. A recovery strategy that identified critical habitat to the extent possible was published in 2014 and Critical Habitat Protection Orders made under subsections 58(4) and (5) were put in place in 2016. An action plan is due in 2019 and progress towards recovery strategy and action plan implementation must be reported every five years.

Funding is available for recovery projects benefiting species at risk listed under SARA. Through this funding, implementation and stewardship activities have been undertaken for the Nechako River and Upper Fraser River NSPs including: Nechako River White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative; conservation aquaculture in Nechako; Emergency Boat Kit Program; research and monitoring on early life stages, juveniles and adults; and, experimental spawning substrate restoration.

The Middle Fraser River NSP portion of the Upper Fraser River DU is not listed under SARA; therefore, the general SARA requirements do not apply.

1.2. New Measures under “Do Not List” and “List” Scenarios

2. Loss of habitat quality and quantity

Managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and B.C. Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

2.1. Currently implemented measures

The Fisheries Act prohibits serious harm to fish, which is defined as “the death of fish or any permanent alteration to, or destruction of, fish habitat.” The Act requires that projects avoid causing serious harm to fish unless authorized by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Proponents can request DFO review projects near water to assess if the works, undertakings or activities are likely to cause serious harm to fish, provide advice to avoid and mitigate effects of activities on fish and fish habitat and, where appropriate, authorize serious harm to fish. DFO also manages habitat occurrence processes, supports fish habitat restoration and enhancement programs, and develops regulatory partnerships to support the management of fish and fish habitat. SARA prohibitions apply to the Nechako River and Upper Fraser River nationally significant populations and are taken into consideration in regulatory review and assessment of activities.

The Province of British Columbia develops Best Management Practices where appropriate (in collaboration with DFO), and regulates: changes in and about a stream, forest and range practices on BC Crown land, applications for new major mines and major expansion projects, agricultural waste management, water licences, and release of deleterious substances.

2.2. New Measures under “Do Not List” and “List” Scenarios

3. Directed food, social and ceremonial White Sturgeon fishery

Managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and B.C. Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

3.1. Currently implemented measures

Directed food, social and ceremonial (FSC) White Sturgeon fisheries are not currently licenced by DFO or the province of BC. A limited unlicenced fishery is known to occur in the mid Fraser River.

3.2. New Measures under “Do Not List” and “List” Scenarios

4. Bycatch of White Sturgeon in food, social and ceremonial salmon fisheries

Managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada

4.1. Currently implemented measures

White Sturgeon is bycaught in licenced FSC sockeye, chinook and pink salmon fisheries. White Sturgeon encounter rate and risk of harm in set nets is higher than in other gear types which include dip nets, beach seine, snagging, hook and line, and fish wheel within the geographic distribution of the Upper Fraser River White Sturgeon DU. In the Nechako and Fraser River above Williams Lake, FSC salmon fisheries have a licence condition to release sturgeon to the water alive and unharmed (non-retention). In the Fraser River below Williams Lake, FSC salmon fisheries have a licence condition to release non-target species. FSC salmon fisheries are monitored using census, survey and observer vehicle patrols. C&P spot patrols occur.

SARA prohibitions currently apply to White Sturgeon in Upper Fraser and Nechako (but not Middle Fraser) NSPs. To reduce harm to bycaught White Sturgeon, seven First Nations participate in an Emergency Boat Kit Program in the Nechako and Upper Fraser River NSPs. The Emergency Boat Kit Program is managed by CSTC and a community bycatch monitor is hired in each of the seven communities. Tl’azt’en uses data collected from Catch Monitors to make management decisions on how to reduce White Sturgeon encounters.

4.2. New Measures under “Do Not List” and “List” Scenarios

5. Bycatch of White Sturgeon in demonstration fisheries

Managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada

5.1. Currently implemented measures

Demonstration fisheries are relatively recent (after 2007). They often occur in areas with no White Sturgeon and typically use selective gear. There is one demonstration fishery in Kamloops Lake using a purse seine and gill net; one demonstration fishery in Fraser Lake using a seine and an occasional demonstration fishery in Fraser River near Williams Lake using a fish wheel and dip net. The Fraser Lake fishery has a licence condition that “it is illegal to kill, harm, harass, capture, take, possess, collect, buy, sell, or trade Nechako or Upper Fraser White Sturgeon as they are listed as an endangered species under SARA unless a specific SARA permit or agreement is in place. It is mandatory to release all White Sturgeon if/when an encounter occurs including any sturgeon that are found dead. All White Sturgeon encounters in the Nechako and Upper Fraser FSC fisheries are to be accurately reported through catch monitoring programs.” The other fisheries have a licence condition to release non-target species. All demonstration fisheries have monitors on site and all landings are reported.

5.2. New Measures under “Do Not List” and “List” Scenarios

6. Recreational catch and release fishery targeting White Sturgeon (Middle Fraser River)

Managed by B.C. Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

6.1. Currently implemented measures

The recreational catch and release fishery for White Sturgeon is closed in the Nechako River and Upper Fraser River above Williams Lake Creek. In the Middle Fraser River below Williams Lake Creek, a provincially-managed recreational catch and release fishery for White Sturgeon occurs. Within this area, seasonal closures occur from September 15 to July 15 in Region 5 above the border with Region 3. A year-round fishery is largely concentrated in a 10 km area around Lillooet in Region 3. There are 25 guides operating in Region 3; no guiding is permitted in Region 5. The limited spatial distribution of the fishery and the apparent stable trend in the Middle Fraser River White Sturgeon population would suggest this fishery is operating within expected limits of fishing sustainability.

The recreational catch and release fishery for White Sturgeon requires a B.C. general fishing license and a Sturgeon conservation surcharge (1 day, 8 day, annual). An angling guide license is required for guides and assistants. Regulations require non-retention of White Sturgeon, following handling guidelines, and use of single barbless hooks. The fishery is monitored through mandatory catch reporting for guides and assistants, mail-out and electronic angler surveys to sturgeon surcharge purchasers, aerial angler count and access point angler interviews. The Sturgeon conservation surcharge and other provincial funding supports the majority of Middle Fraser River monitoring and research including PIT tagging and population monitoring of White Sturgeon as well as awareness and enhanced fishery implementation and enforcement.

6.2. New Measures under “Do Not List” and “List” Scenarios

7. Bycatch of White Sturgeon in recreational salmon fisheries

Managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada

7.1. Currently implemented measures

A general fishing license and salmon surcharge are required for recreational salmon fishing. Bycatch of White Sturgeon is occasional because gear used in recreational salmon fishing is typically not conducive to catching White Sturgeon. No White Sturgeon may be retained in the recreational fishery.

7.2. New Measures under “Do Not List” and “List” Scenarios

8. Bycatch of White Sturgeon in recreational resident fish fisheries

Managed by B.C. Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

8.1. Currently implemented measures

A general fishing license is required for recreational resident fish (freshwater) fishing. Bycatch of White Sturgeon is occasional because gear used in recreational resident fish fishing is typically not conducive to catching White Sturgeon. No White Sturgeon may be retained in the recreational fishery.

8.2. New Measures under “Do Not List” and “List” Scenarios

9. Poaching of White Sturgeon

Responsibility of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and B.C. Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

9.1. Currently implemented measures

Poaching of White Sturgeon is thought to be rare. All salmon directed sports fisheries are daylight hours only to reduce poaching. DFO Fisheries Officers (C&P) and BC Conservation Officers (COs) respond to reports from DFO’s ‘Observe, Record, Report’ hotline or BC’s ‘Report all poachers and polluters’ line.

9.2. New Measures under “Do Not List” and “List” Scenarios

10. Scientific research on White Sturgeon

Responsibility of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, B.C. Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, and B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy

10.1. Currently implemented measures

Throughout the Upper Fraser River White Sturgeon DU, a provincial fish collection permit is required for scientific activities. In the Upper Fraser River NSP and Nechako NSP portions of the Upper Fraser River DU, SARA prohibitions and permitting requirements apply. Ongoing scientific research includes:

• Juvenile indexing and monitoring programs to increase understanding of distribution, movement, survival and behaviours of juvenile White Sturgeon in the Nechako River and Upper Fraser River
• Field studies, lab studies and geofluvial modelling leading to experimental spawning substrate remediation in 2011 and cleaning in 2016 on the Nechako River at Vanderhoof
• Spawn monitoring including egg mats and radio and acoustic telemetry to document spawning activity in the Nechako River spawning reach and to confirm spawning White Sturgeon are using remediated zones of the reach
• Research on larval habitat requirements
• Limited adult and juvenile monitoring in the Middle Fraser River to increase understanding of distribution, movement, survival and behaviours of White Sturgeon, including introgression and movement of hatchery juveniles both within and outside of the natural range of the Nechako population

10.2. New Measures under “Do Not List” and “List” Scenarios

11. Reduced or altered food supply

Managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada

11.1. Currently implemented measures

Implementation of Canada’s Wild Salmon Policy:

• Canada’s Policy for Conservation of Wild Pacific Salmon (WSP) guides the conservation and management of Pacific salmon with a goal to restore and maintain healthy and diverse salmon populations and habitat and ecosystem integrity.
• Implementation plan including conducting scientific work on identifying, assessing, and monitoring conservation units in partnership with others is being developed.

Cooperate on management, research and enhancement of Pacific salmon stocks:

• U.S. and Canada have joint conservation and harvest sharing agreements (Pacific Salmon Treaty) to prevent over-fishing and optimize production

Implement Southern Salmon Integrated Fisheries Management Plan:

• IFMPs guide and plan sustainable use of marine resources by documenting stock assessment, scientific research, and management objectives, using a precautionary approach
• The Southern Salmon Integrated Fisheries Management Plan guides management of Fraser River and southern BC salmon stocks. Specifically:
  • Section 2 and throughout: provides scientific information for conservation and management of salmon resources by conservation unit
  • Section 5.3.16: guides implementation of the Salmonid Enhancement Program including operation of hatcheries, fishways, spawning and rearing channels to rebuild or enhance chinook, sockeye, pink, coho and chum salmon
  • Section 6: outlines management objectives for stocks of concern
  • Section 13: outlines management plans for each species or stock, including stock assessment information, allocation plans and harvest levels
• Implement the Fishery Monitoring and Catch Reporting (sections 8, 10.1, 11.1, 12.1):
  • Guides maintenance of reliable catch data required for the sustainable use of fishery resources, including catch monitoring and a compliance plan
• Implement the Policy for Selective Fishing in Canada’s Pacific Fisheries (section 12.10):
  • Guides development of strategies to harvest available abundances of large, healthy stocks while ensuring conservation of smaller stocks of concern through selective fishing

11.2. New Measures under “Do Not List” and “List” Scenarios

12. Hatchery and aquaculture effects

Managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and B.C. Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

12.1. Currently implemented measures

The Nechako White Sturgeon Conservation Centre was established in 2014 as a short term solution to address recruitment failure of White Sturgeon in the Nechako River. Pilot hatchery operations were undertaken prior to the Centre opening. The Centre was built with funding from Rio Tinto Alcan, BC and others. It is operated by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC and is under the responsible authorities of DFO and BC FLNRORD. Hatchery activities following annual Nechako River White Sturgeon Technical Working Group endorsed plans are exempted by the White Sturgeon recovery strategy (2014) from SARA general prohibitions as per SARA s. 83(4).

Hatchery supplementation is carefully managed through an adaptive and science-based approach to ensure hatchery produced White Sturgeon represent the genetic diversity of the Nechako stock and do not overwhelm the genetics of stocks downstream. Mitigation and management measure include:

• Following established fish health, handling, culture and transport guidelines
• Maximizing genetic diversity of hatchery fish
• Supporting imprinting by locating the Centre at Vanderhoof and using river water from the spawning reach in Vanderhoof to rear hatchery fish
• Marking and tagging all released hatchery fish
• Culling of surplus individuals, if required, a routine element of regular hatchery operations for any species
• Providing surplus eggs and larvae for lab and field experiments supporting recovering
• Juvenile monitoring
• Initiating research on historic distribution and monitoring migration of hatchery-origin individuals both within and outside of the natural range of the Nechako population

Options for long term spawning habitat restoration and recruitment restoration are being investigated.

Commercial aquaculture of White Sturgeon is considered low risk at this time.

12.2. New Measures under “Do Not List” and “List” Scenarios