2023-2024 Call for Proposals: Habitat Stewardship Program for Aquatic Species at Risk

Under the Nature Legacy initiative, announced in Budget 2018, the Government of Canada is transforming its approach to species at risk conservation and recovery by shifting to ecosystem-based, multispecies initiatives. This approach includes providing funding towards the protection and recovery of aquatic and terrestrial species at risk.^{Footnote 1} Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is responsible for aquatic species at risk and supports recovery of these species through various programs, including the Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP).

The HSP, established in 2000, provides funding for projects submitted by Canadians that contribute directly to the recovery of species at risk. To ensure the HSP is able to achieve its mandate to "contribute to the recovery of endangered, threatened, and other species at risk by engaging Canadians from all walks of life in conservation actions to benefit wildlife”, DFO routinely reviews the program to best address emerging priorities related to aquatic species at risk across Canada.

HSP has two platforms for funding:

Terrestrial Species at Risk Projects – Delivered by Environment and Climate Change Canada
Aquatic Species at Risk Projects – Delivered by Fisheries and Oceans Canada

This Call for Proposals applies only to aquatic species at risk projects. For information on funding for terrestrial species at risk, please contact Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Timelines

The program will be accepting Expressions of Interest (EOI) until November 14, 2022 (closing at 11:59pm for your region).
Submission of an EOI does not guarantee a project will be approved for funding. However, submission of an EOI is strongly encouraged, particularly for applicants who have not received HSP funding in the past.
The EOI will give you the opportunity to discuss your project and receive feedback to verify that it is aligned with national and regional priorities and program expected results.
The deadline for full proposal submissions is December 16, 2022 (closing at 11:59pm for your region).

Objective, expected results and national priorities

The objective of the HSP for Aquatic Species at Risk is to support and promote the conservation and recovery of Aquatic Species at Risk and their habitats by engaging Canadians in projects that will result in tangible and measurable conservation benefits.
Proposed projects must demonstrate how they align with the objective of the HSP. Further, the proposal must describe through its own objectives, activities and anticipated outcomes, how it will achieve one or more of the expected results:

aquatic species at risk important habitat^{Footnote 2} is improved and/or managed to meet their recovery needs
threats to aquatic species at risk and/or their habitat are stopped, removed, and/or mitigated
collaboration and partnerships support the conservation and recovery of aquatic species at risk

The national priorities for the 2023-24 HSP are projects that focus on the implementation of:

priority activities described in federal recovery strategies, action plans, or management plans;
multiple-species and/or multi-partner projects; and
activities that address threats described in federal species at risk recovery documents or the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessment reports.

Regional priorities

In addition to the national priorities, each region has identified specific priorities that support the national priorities. These include target areas, species and/or threats (Appendix 1). The majority of aquatic funds will go to projects that address at least one of these regional priorities.

For more information

General information on the HSP for Aquatic Species at Risk is also available online as well as other reference and application documents such as the Program Guide, Expression of Interest Form, Application Form and Application Instructions.
Please contact your HSP Regional Coordinator (Appendix 2) for additional information or assistance.

Thank you for your interest in the recovery of species at risk. We wish you the best in your application!

Appendix 1: Regional priorities

Appendix 1: Regional priorities
Region	Species	Areas	Threats
Newfoundland and Labrador	Wolffish Species (Northern, Spotted, Atlantic) Leatherback and Loggerhead Sea Turtle Large Whale Species (Blue Whale, Fin Whale, North Atlantic Right Whale) Atlantic Salmon (South Newfoundland population) American Eel	N/A	Fisheries Interactions (i.e. bycatch, entanglements) Vessel Interactions (i.e. ship strikes, acoustic disturbances) Pollution and Pathogens Habitat Alteration Migration Barriers
Maritimes	Atlantic Salmon (Inner Bay of Fundy population) Atlantic Whitefish SARA-listed Sea Turtle Species North Atlantic Right Whale Lake Utopia Rainbow Smelt	N/A	Habitat alteration and degradation Invasive and introduced species Fishery interactions (includes entanglement and bycatch) Interactions with vessels and vehicles Acoustic disturbance
Gulf	Atlantic Salmon Brook Floater Wolffish species Leatherback Sea Turtle Whale species (North Atlantic Right Whale, Blue Whale, Fin Whale)	N/A	Interactions with Vessels and Vehicles Acoustic Disturbances Fishery Interactions: Bycatch and Entanglement Habitat Alteration and Degradation Invasive and Introduced Species
Quebec	St. Lawrence whales at risk (Beluga whale, St. Lawrence Estuary population, Blue whale, Atlantic population, North Atlantic right whale, Atlantic fin whale and Northwest Atlantic harbour porpoise) All freshwater fishes of interest to the Quebec Recovery Team “l'équipe de rétablissement des cyprins et petits percidés du Québec” (Sand Darter, Quebec population, Northern Sunfish, Cutlip Minnow, Channel Darter, Bridle Shiner, Grass Pickerel, Northern Brook Lamprey and Silver Lamprey) Copper Redhorse Sharks and Skates (Atlantic White Shark, Atlantic Blue Shark, Atlantic Spiny Dogfish, Channel Darter, Atlantic Basking Shark, Thorny Skate, and Smooth Skate, Laurentian-Scotian population) St. Lawrence diadromous species (Atlantic salmon and American eel)	Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence (including all its tributaries) St. Lawrence Lowlands (see map for the delimitation of the territory), in particular the Richelieu River watershed.	Anthropogenic disturbance associated with commercial shipping, whale watching and touring, or recreational boating (e.g., approach, noise, collision, wake, spill) Bycatch and recreational and commercial fishing pressures Habitat destruction and degradation (e.g., destruction of seagrass beds, bank artificialization, wave action, soil compaction or erosion, alteration of shorelines and riparian buffers, water contamination) Aquatic invasive species affecting aquatic species at risk and their habitat
Ontario and Prairie (Ontario)	Redside Dace Pugnose Shiner Pugnose Minnow Black Redhorse SARA-listed Freshwater Mussels	Lake St. Clair & contributing watersheds Lake Erie & contributing watersheds Lake Ontario & contributing watersheds Lake Huron & contributing watersheds Lakes & contributing watersheds of Upper (western) St. Lawrence River	Sediment/nutrient, contaminant loading Habitat destruction/ alteration Altered flows, water levels, or coastal process Barriers to fish passage Recreational impacts on aquatic SAR
Ontario and Prairie (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta)	Bigmouth Buffalo Lake Sturgeon Southern Prairie Species (Western Silvery Minnow, Rocky Mountain Sculpin, Plains Sucker) Native Trout (Athabasca Rainbow, Westslope Cutthroat, Bull) Mapleleaf	Peace/Slave River Basin North and South Saskatchewan River basin Southern Prairie Region (Milk River, St. Mary River, Qu’Appelle River) Winnipeg/Red/Assiniboine River Basin East Slopes Rocky Mountains	Habitat loss and degradation Impacts from introduced/non-introduced species Disease and pathogens Restrictions to fish passage Barriers to movement
Arctic (Northwest Territories and Nunavut)	Dolly Varden (Western Arctic) Beluga (Cumberland Sound) Bowhead Whale (Eastern Arctic/West Greenland) Walrus Beluga (Hudson Bay)	Foxe Basin Hudson Bay/Hudson Strait Mackenzie River tributaries/Peel River System Cumberland Sound All Nunavut waters	Unsustainable harvest Unknown effects of predators Lack of information on isolated Dolly Varden populations Struck and loss of marine mammals Impacts from introduced/non-introduced species
Pacific	Cetaceans assessed as at risk by COSEWIC White Sturgeon Northern Abalone Endemic freshwater species assessed as at risk by COSEWIC Sharks assessed as at risk by COSEWIC	All aquatic habitat (marine and freshwater) within DFO Pacific Region	Fisheries interactions (including incidental/bycatch, entanglements, illegal harvest, prey availability) Physical and acoustic disturbance (vessel based) Habitat degradation and fragmentation (aquatic and riparian) Water quality, including contaminants Aquatic invasive species

Appendix 2: Regional coordinators

Arctic

Kristie Pearce
Telephone: 431-334-7210
Email: DFO.HspOpr-PihRop.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Gulf

Jackie Walker
Telephone: 506-377-3263
Email: DFO.HspGlf-PihGlf.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Maritimes

Lisa Paon
Telephone: 902-483-5495
Email: DFO.HspMar-PihMar.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Newfoundland and Labrador

Lynette Mulley
Telephone: 709-330-7993
Email: DFO.HspNfl-PihTnl.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Ontario and Prairie

Kristie Pearce
Telephone: 431-334-7210
Email: DFO.HspOpr-PihRop.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Pacific

Jennalee Domke
Telephone: 604-389-8427
Email: DFO.HspPyr-PihRpy.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Quebec

Susanne Mark
Telephone: 1-877-722-4828
Email: DFO.HspQc-PihQc.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Footnotes

Footnote 1

An aquatic species is a wildlife species that is a fish as defined in section 2 of the Fisheries Act. See the HSP Application Guidelines for more information on eligible species.

Return to footnote 1 referrer

Footnote 2

The program defines “important habitat” as critical habitat that has been identified in federal recovery strategies or action plans or that is considered as candidate for critical habitat but that is not yet identified in a final federal recovery strategy or action plan, or habitat that is important for the species survival (e.g., spawning, rearing areas, overwintering areas, migratory corridors) but that is not actually identified in a federal recovery strategy or action plan.

Return to footnote 2 referrer

Date modified:: 2022-10-21

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