Priority locations and descriptions

On this page

• Priority threats
• Priority species
• Priority places

Priority threats

Fishing interactions (includes marine mammal entanglements and fish bycatch)

Location

• Marine fisheries take place throughout the Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic oceans (including the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Estuary) and overlap with the distribution of many species at risk that are found throughout these marine areas (fish, sea turtles and marine mammal species). Thus there is no specific geographic component to this threat compared to the 9 priority places.
• In the Arctic, the majority of the large-scale commercial fishing activities take place in Davis Strait and Hudson Bay. The threat of physical and acoustic disturbance to marine species at risk from increased shipping and tourism activity occurs throughout  the Arctic where aquatic species a risk are found. The greatest threat of acoustic disturbance exists in Davis Strait and Baffin Bay where the  majority of commercial shipping activities take place (e.g., commercial fishing, tourism, transportation).

Key threats

• Fishery interactions (e.g., bycatch, entrapment, entanglement in actively fished, ghost or lost gear) affect almost all SARA-listed marine species, as well as marine species assessed as at risk by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).
• The type and level of risk posed by fishing differs among species, as does the fishery and type of gear that may pose a threat.
• For marine mammals, the threats primarily relate to entanglement and entrapment in fishing gear (e.g., entanglement in vertical fishing lines pose a threat to North Atlantic Right Whale). Entanglement in fishing gear also poses a threat to leatherback sea turtles.
• For marine fish species (e.g., Wolffish, various species of skates, some species of groundfish, Cusk) as well as Loggerhead Sea Turtles, the threat primarily relates to bycatch in various commercial fisheries.
• Marine mammal species at risk have also been subjected to acoustic and physical disturbance, primarily from commercial, but also recreational activities in the Arctic.
• Shipping, including that associated with industrial development, and commercial fishing represent the greatest risks.

Physical and acoustic disturbance (includes vessel collisions and marine noise)

Location

• Pacific Ocean waters from the US border in the north (Alaska) to the US border to the south (Washington) – The threat of physical and acoustic disturbance to marine species at risk from human activities, including shipping, marine transportation and recreational activities, occurs throughout the Pacific Ocean, although may be most associated with areas of higher industrial activity and commercial and recreational vessel traffic.
• Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Estuary – The threat of physical and acoustic disturbance to marine species at risk occurs throughout the Atlantic Ocean, although may be most associated with areas of higher industrial activity and commercial and recreational traffic.
• The Canadian Arctic Ocean, including the southern Beaufort Sea and the Baffin Bay, Davis Strait, Hudson Strait and northern Hudson Bay, including Foxe Basin – The threat of physical and acoustic disturbance to marine species at risk from increased shipping and tourism activity occurs throughout the Arctic where aquatic species a risk are found. The greatest threat of acoustic disturbance exists in Davis Strait and Baffin Bay where the majority of commercial shipping activities take place (e.g., commercial fishing, tourism, transportation).

Key threats

• Physical and acoustic disturbance includes disturbance from underwater noise generated by commercial and recreational vessels and industrial activities (e.g. dredging, drilling and construction) as well as from vessel presence.
• The displacement of marine mammals due to physical and acoustic disturbance can affect both the health of the individuals and the population. For example, many marine mammals use specific foraging areas, haul-outs, rubbing beaches or calving areas and can be displaced due to repeated disturbance by both noise and wave generation from large ships.
• The means by which physical and acoustic disturbance can affect aquatic species at risk at both the individual and population level are not well understood but may depend on whether the disturbance is chronic (such as commercial and recreational vessel traffic, including whale watching vessels) or acute/immediate (such as vessel strikes).

Priority species

North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis)

• The North Atlantic Right Whale is a large (up to 17 m) whale, generally black in colour with occasional white belly patches and no dorsal fin. A migratory animal, the North Atlantic right whale travels along the east coast of North America primarily from eastern Florida to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Newfoundland.
• Since whaling ended, threats to the North Atlantic right whale population include strikes by vessels and entanglements in fixed fishing gear (e.g., vertical and horizontal  lines used in fixed gear fisheries (i.e. gillnets and pot gear)). Most of the areas heavily used by right whales in the western North Atlantic are in or near major shipping lanes serving ports in the eastern United States and Canada. Habitat degradation may also be contributing to the North Atlantic right whale population’s  failure to recover more rapidly.

Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

• The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has identified 16 different populations (designatable units) of Atlantic Salmon based on genetic data and broad patterns of life history variation, environmental variables and geographic separation. Of these 16 populations, 11 have been assessed by COSEWIC as species at risk. One of these DUs, the inner Bay of Fundy population, is listed as Endangered under Schedule 1 of SARA.
• An anadromous fish, Atlantic Salmon occur throughout Atlantic Canada in a variety of freshwater, estuarine and marine habitats as they grow to maturity. Threats to the populations include climate change and environmental changes in the ocean, fisheries, barriers to fish passage (e.g. dams), pollution, aquaculture and invasive species.

Pacific Salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.)

• COSEWIC has identified 55 different populations (designatable units) of Southern BC Chinook, Fraser Sockeye, and Interior Fraser Coho in the Pacific Region. Of those 55 populations, 39 have been assessed by COSEWIC as species at risk.
• The majority of at-risk DUs assessed to date occur in the Fraser watershed, however, declines in Pacific salmon populations have occurred throughout the Pacific region. Threats are wide ranging and include climate change, habitat modifications, contaminants, and fisheries.

Priority places

Fraser and Columbia Watersheds Priority Place (BC)

Location

• The Fraser River watershed encompasses the entire Fraser River Basin from its mouth near Vancouver upstream to its headwaters in the Rocky Mountains near Valemount. The Fraser River Basin also incorporates all of its tributary basins, notably the Harrison, the Thompson / North Thompson / Shuswap system, the Chilcotin, the Quesnel, the Nechako / Stuart, the McGregor and the Bowron.
• The Canadian portion of the Columbia River basin includes tributary basins of the Okanagan / Similkameen, the Upper Columbia with its three reservoirs (Arrow Lakes, Revelstoke, Kinbasket), and the Upper Kootenay system.
• Together, the Fraser Basin and the Canadian portion of the Columbia Basin host 70% of the Pacific Region’s freshwater aquatic species at risk.

Key threats

• Loss of habitat quality and quantity; human development; industrial impacts (e.g., gravel extraction, etc.); climate change impacts from drought, hydrology,  temperature, discharge timing, etc; climate change and industrial impacts on riparian and upslope habitats; agriculture and aquaculture impacts; pollution; hydro-electric energy production and mining; transportation and service corridors; invasive and other problematic species; fishing impacts (e.g., commercial and other fishing impacts, targeted harvest, fishing-related tourism); wildlife disease; natural system modifications (e.g., dams and water management/use).

Rocky Mountains’ Eastern Slopes Priority Place (AB)

Location

• This area encompasses the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies in Alberta. The eastern slopes extends from the high alpine slopes of the Canadian Rocky Mountains down to the foothills and into the transition into the  Prairies ecozone.  This area forms the headwaters of the Saskatchewan - Nelson Rivers drainage basin, which flows from Alberta into Saskatchewan and Manitoba emptying into Hudson’s  Bay and the headwaters of the Peace-Athabasca River drainage basin, which flows into the McKenzie River and ultimately the Arctic Ocean.

Key threats

• Changes in water quality, quantity, habitat loss, fragmentation, introduced species (hybridization and introgression, interspecific competition for resources and access to habitat), climate warming, changes to the landscape and altered flow regimes are significant threats for species at risk in Alberta. Declines in water quality, quantity, water delivery timing regimes and habitat loss in Alberta result from the oil and gas industry, forestry,  agriculture, mining, water management issues (fragmentation and withdrawals) and recreational land use (off highway recreational vehicle).  Mortality from recreational fishing (catch and release) and research, other invasive species and pathogens, such as Zebra mussel and whirling disease, are also threats to native trout.

Southern Prairies Priority Place (AB, SK, MB)

Location

• Situated  in the Prairies Ecozone, the Southern  Prairies Place encompasses those portions of the Red River, South Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, Whitemouth, Birch and Missouri River Basins in Canada. The Milk River is unique in that it is the only waterbody in Canada to flow south into Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi drainage basin. The hydrologic system within these watersheds is complex, and is influenced by  many natural and human forces, and controlled through a myriad of federal, provincial, state and local laws, regulations, rules, ordinances, and international arrangements. Overall, the Prairies Ecozone is home to high numbers of threatened and endangered wildlife species, and its native ecosystems are among the most endangered natural habitats in Canada.

Key threats

• The Prairies encompass important watersheds that are impacted by various anthropogenic activities, such as water management, hydroelectric dams, agriculture practices, and recreation. These activities can result in threats such as habitat degradation, reduced water quality and/or quantity, and habitat fragmentation. These threats are often multiple cumulating impacts throughout an individual species distribution. Prairie species are also sensitive to climate change (e.g. high variability in water level due to variation in temperature). Invasive species are also a threat in the prairies, from Zebra Mussel to Asian Carp. It is important to protect species at risk to maintain balance and biodiversity in the prairies ecosystem.
• Within the Milk River, the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty between Canada and the United States, administered by the International Joint Commission, imposes a water management regime which creates alternating unnaturally high flows and low flows, which can be unsuitable for native species in the Milk River system.

Arctic Priority Place (NU, NWT, YT, Arctic Ocean)

Western Arctic

• The Western Arctic component of the Arctic Priority Place includes the offshore component of the Yukon North Slope and westward towards Cape Bathurst. The area includes the Mackenzie trough, estuary and nearshore Beaufort Shelf. The offshore component of the area includes Kugmallit Canyon. The southern portion of the area extends to Inuvik in the Mackenzie Delta.

Key threats

• Key threats to the SARA and COSEWIC-listed marine mammal species in the western arctic include acoustic disturbance primarily from marine traffic, industrial development, seismic exploration and climate change. Northern fish species are also impacted by climate change but face other threats related to over harvesting and limited areas of occupancy.

Eastern Arctic

• The Eastern Arctic component of the Arctic Priority Place starts at the northern tip of Lancaster Sounds and extends to the  east along Canada’s Exclusive Economic Zone south to the norther portion  of Hatton Basin. This section of the priority  area includes the Baffin Bay shelf Break and Baffin Bay proper. From this point the area extends south to include Ungava Bay and the southern shore of Hudson Strait. The Eastern portion of this area encompasses the western point of southern Hudson Strait  to the  western shore of northern Hudson Bay. From here the area includes all of Foxe Basin, Fury and Hecla Strait, and the Gulf of Boothia.

Key threats

• Key threats to the SARA and COSEWIC-listed marine mammal species in the western arctic include acoustic disturbance primarily from marine traffic and seismic exploration, entanglement due  to fishing activities and climate change. Due to the high level of traffic and use in this area some marine mammals are at also at risk of ship strikes and overharvesting. Fish species in this area are also impacted by climate change but face other threats related to over harvesting and bycatch.

Lower Great Lakes Watershed Priority Place (ON)

Location

• The Lower Great Lakes watershed includes the watersheds (and connecting waterways) of lower Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario; it also includes the upper St. Lawrence River and its associated watersheds.

Key threats

• Common and significant threats for aquatic SAR within this priority place are diverse and include: physical habitat loss; declining water quality – including sediment and nutrient loading (causing increased turbidity) and contaminants; changes in stream channel structure; increased stream temperatures; flow alteration; the removal of riparian vegetation; barriers to movement; and invasive species (e.g. Round Goby and Zebra Mussels). For freshwater mussels, declines in fish host species can also represent a significant threat factor.

St. Lawrence Lowlands Priority Place (QC)

Location

• The St Lawrence Lowlands in Quebec are a large area (29 000 km2) along the border of the St Lawrence River. This is an area known for its rich agriculture and is where the majority of the population of the province of Quebec is concentrated.
• The boundaries of the study area correspond to the natural province of the St. Lawrence lowlands of the Quebec reference Ecological framework.
• Aquatic species at risk are found in the St. Lawrence River and in many of the watersheds of the St. Lawrence lowlands, such as the Ottawa River, Chateauguay River, Assomption River, and in the majority of rivers flowing into Saint-Pierre Lake. The  Richelieu River, for which an action plan is being developed, contains 12 of the 14 aquatic species at risk in the St. Lawrence Lowlands

Key threats

• Pollution from agricultural and municipal contaminants is a major threat that is widespread throughout the St. Lawrence Lowlands that affects all species that are present.
• Habitat modification or disturbance, including barriers to free fish passage and the presence of invasive species (plants or animals), are also common and important threats to species in the lowlands of the St. Lawrence.

Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Rivers Priority Place (NB, NS, PEI)

Location

• Specific rivers that drain into the  Southern  Gulf of St. Lawrence (sGSL), from the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Major river drainages identified as priorities are: the Miramichi, Restigouche, Nepisiguit, Kouchibouguacis, Richibuctou and Bouctouche Rivers in New Brunswick; the Margaree, Phillip, Wallace, Middle River of Pictou, West and South Antigonish, and Mabou Rivers in Nova Scotia; and the Mill, Morell, and Midgell Rivers in PEI.

Key threats

• Modifications and changes in freshwater natural systems such as habitat fragmentation due to dams, roads, and other barriers to fish passage, bank erosion and stream habitat deterioration, recreational, agricultural, and industrial land use, invasive species, changes in water quality and temperature, and climate change are significant threats to freshwater species at risk in these key rivers of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Bay of Fundy and Southern Uplands Watersheds Priority Place (NS, NB)

Location

• The watersheds that drain into the Bay of Fundy (Nova Scotia and New Brunswick) and those that make up the Southern Uplands ecoregion (Nova Scotia). Within this broader area, there are several key rivers in which multiple species at risk (SARA-listed and COSEWIC-assessed) are found.

Key threats

• Modifications of natural systems (e.g., dams and other barriers to fish passage), water and habitat quality (e.g., riparian zone impacts, acidification, instream habitat deterioration, various land use practices and impacts), and invasive species are significant threats to freshwater species at risk in these watersheds.

Southern Newfoundland Priority Place (NL)

Location

• The priority place includes the watersheds in Newfoundland that drain south into the Atlantic Ocean along the south coast and includes a portion of the marine area extending from Cape Ray in the west, and extends eastward following the SPM international waters boundary, and encompasses Placentia Bay and St. Mary’s Bay.

Key threats

• Habitat degradation/alteration, barriers to migration, and fisheries are threats to freshwater species at risk in these watersheds. Other than priority threats, additional threats to marine species include ecosystem change and marine pollution.