Session: Conservation Planning, Policy, And Theory 3
COS 51-3 - Creating a decision support framework for implementing conservation translocations of SARA-listed freshwater fish and mussel species in Canada
For freshwater fishes and mussels listed under the Canadian Species at Risk Act (SARA), a federal recovery strategy or management plan identifies recovery measures for best achieving population and distribution objectives. Recovery strategies and management plans for 13 SARA-listed freshwater fishes and 11 freshwater mussel species identify conservation translocation, specifically supplementation or reintroduction, as a potential approach for improving survival and/or recovery. However, there has been limited progress in undertaking conservation translocations primarily due to basic information gaps on species ecology and uncertainty about how to assess the potential ecological benefits and risks to freshwater species and ecosystems. Here, we: 1) identify and evaluate the potential benefits and risks of conservation translocation as a tool for improving the survival, recovery, or management of SARA-listed freshwater fish and mussel species; and 2) identify science-based considerations and methods for determining when conservation translocation would be expected to improve the survival, recovery, or management of SARA-listed freshwater fishes and mussels.
Results/Conclusions
A decision support framework for evaluating the potential benefits and risks of conservation translocation to focal SARA-listed freshwater fish and mussel species and broader ecosystem components was developed. The decision support framework consists of five steps: 1) Identify fundamental and means objectives for conservation translocations; 2) Assess the probability of achieving the fundamental and means objectives; 3) Identify and assess the likelihood and magnitude of unintended consequences; 4) Compile and weigh the scientific evidence to inform the translocation decision; and, 5) Implement and monitor the conservation translocation. Using the framework can help determine if and when the ecological benefits of conservation translocations outweigh the uncertainties and ecological risks when attempting to improve the survival and recovery of SARA-listed freshwater fishes and mussels.
