Alberta Shortjaw Cisco Recovery Plan 2013-2023 Alberta Species at Risk Recovery Plan No. 32 Alberta Shortjaw Cisco Recovery Plan 2013-2023 Prepared by: Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development January 2014 ISBN: 978-1-4601-1098-0 (Online Edition) ISSN: 1702-4900 (Online Edition) Cover photos: courtesy of Mark Steinhilber, Royal Alberta Museum For copies of this report, contact: Information Centre – Publications Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Main Floor, Great West Life Building 9920 – 108 Street Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5K 2M4 Telephone: (780) 422-2079 OR Visit the Alberta Species at Risk Program web site at: http://esrd.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/species-at-risk/ This publication may be cited as: Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. 2014. Alberta Shortjaw Cisco Recovery Plan 2013-2023. Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Wildlife Management Branch, Alberta Species at Risk Recovery Plan No.32, Edmonton, AB. 22 pp. ii PREFACE Albertans are fortunate to share their province with an impressive diversity of wild species. Populations of most species of plants and animals are healthy and secure. However, a small number of species are either naturally rare or are now imperiled because of human activities. Recovery plans establish a basis for cooperation among government, industry, conservation groups, landowners and other stakeholders to ensure these species and populations are restored or maintained for future generations. Alberta’s commitment to the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk and to the National Framework for the Conservation of Species at Risk, combined with requirements established under Alberta’s Wildlife Act and the federal Species at Risk Act, has resulted in the development of a provincial recovery program. The overall goal of the recovery program is to restore species identified as Threatened or Endangered to viable, naturally self-sustaining populations within Alberta. The policy document Alberta’s Strategy for the Management of Species at Risk (2009– 2014) provides broader program context for recovery activities. Alberta species at risk recovery plans are prepared under the supervision of the Species at Risk Program, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. This often includes involvement of a recovery team composed of various stakeholders including conservation organizations, industry, landowners, resource users, universities, government agencies and others. Membership is by invitation from the Executive Director of the Fish and Wildlife Policy Branch and is uniquely tailored to each species and circumstance. Conservation and management of these species continues during preparation of recovery plans. The Executive Director of the Fish and Wildlife Policy Branch provides these plans as advice to the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. Alberta’s Endangered Species Conservation Committee also reviews draft recovery plans and provides recommendations on their acceptance to the Minister. Additional opportunities for review by the public may also be provided. Plans accepted and approved for implementation by the Minister are published as a government recovery plan. Approved plans are a summary of the Ministry’s commitment to work with involved stakeholders to coordinate and implement conservation actions necessary to restore or maintain these species. Recovery plans include three main sections: background information that highlights the species’ biology, population trends, and threats; a recovery section that outlines goals, objectives, and strategies to address the threats; and an action plan that profiles priority actions required to maintain or restore the Threatened or Endangered species. Each approved recovery plan undergoes regular review, and progress of implementation is evaluated. Implementation of each recovery plan is subject to the availability of resources from within and from outside government. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ____________________________________________________ vii 1.0 INTRODUCTION __________________________________________________________1 1.1 Provincial and National Status _____________________________________________________ 1 1.2 Recovery Team _________________________________________________________________ 1 2.0 SPECIES BIOLOGY ________________________________________________________2 2.1 Life History ___________________________________________________________________ 2 2.2 Habitat _______________________________________________________________________ 3 2.3 Population Size, Distribution, and Trends in Alberta ____________________________________ 4 3.0 THREATS AND LIMITING FACTORS _________________________________________6 3.1 Sport, Domestic, and Commercial Fishing ____________________________________________ 6 3.2 Ecological Integrity _____________________________________________________________ 6 3.3 Land Use and Other Anthropogenic Activities ________________________________________ 7 3.4 Climate _______________________________________________________________________ 7 4.0 KNOWLEDGE GAPS AND RESEARCH PRIORITIES ____________________________8 5.0 RECENT RECOVERY AND CONSERVATION EFFORTS ________________________9 6.0 RECOVERY STRATEGY ___________________________________________________10 6.1 Biological and Technical Feasibility of Recovery _____________________________________ 10 6.2 Guiding Principles _____________________________________________________________ 10 6.3 Recovery Goal ________________________________________________________________ 11 6.4 Recovery Objectives ____________________________________________________________ 11 6.5 Strategies for Recovery _________________________________________________________ 11 7.0 ACTION PLAN ___________________________________________________________12 7.1 Population Conservation and Management __________________________________________ 12 7.2 Habitat Conservation and Management _____________________________________________ 12 7.3 Information and Outreach ________________________________________________________ 13 7.4 Research _____________________________________________________________________ 13 7.5 Resourcing ___________________________________________________________________ 14 7.6 Plan Management and Administration ______________________________________________ 14 8.0 TIMETABLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND SCHEDULE OF COSTS _____________14 9.0 SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS _____________________________________17 10.0 PLAN EVALUATION AND AMENDMENT __________________________________17 11.0 LITERATURE CITED ___________________________________________________18 12.0 APPENDIX 1 ____________________________________________________________22 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Shortjaw cisco relative abundance and catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) in Barrow Lake_ 4 Table 2. Implementation schedule for the action plan for shortjaw cisco. __________________15 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. The distribution of shortjaw cisco in Alberta, based on surveys conducted between 1996 and 2005. _________________________________________________________________5 v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The original Alberta Shortjaw Cisco Recovery Plan 2006-2011 was developed in large part by Larry Rhude (retired, team lead) and Sue Cotterill (both of Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Wildlife Management Branch). Their efforts created a solid foundation for the 2013-2023 version of the Plan. The team would like to thank all former and current recovery team members and contributors and their respective organizations for the technical information and advice they provided during the preparation of the recovery plans. Special thanks to Sara Bumstead and Isabelle Girard (both formerly Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development) who were instrumental in planning, securing funding, and implementing a project to examine the feasibility of using underwater video technology to study shortjaw cisco in Barrow Lake. The Alberta Shortjaw Cisco Recovery Team would like to express its appreciation to Kelley Kissner who prepared the original draft recovery plan in collaboration with the group. This recovery plan update was developed from the original plan by Kathryn Romanchuk in consultation with Dwayne Latty and Mark Steinhilber. Funding and support for plan preparation was provided by the Species at Risk Program of Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. Core Team Dwayne Latty (Team Lead), Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Mark Steinhilber, Royal Alberta Museum Original Consultative Team Alice Martin, Mikisew Cree First Nation Willie Courtoreille, Mikisew Cree First Nation Sony Flett, Métis Association Tim Gillies, Mikisew Sport Fishing Charlie Voyageur, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Tim Clowater, formerly Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Public Lands Branch vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The shortjaw cisco (Coregonus zenithicus) is a freshwater fish that occurs at relatively low densities in lakes across central Canada. In July 2003, the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development approved listing the shortjaw cisco as Threatened in Alberta. This designation was based on the species’ occurrence in only one lake in Alberta and its isolation from other populations. This species is also designated as Threatened in Canada, primarily due to the decline or extirpation of this species in the Great Lakes from commercial exploitation, climate change, predation,