Pugnose Shiner (Notropis anogenus): Report on the progress of recovery strategy implementation 2012 to 2017

Preface

The federal, provincial, and territorial government signatories under the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk (1996) agreed to establish complementary legislation and programs that provide for the protection of species at risk throughout Canada. Under section 46 of the Species at Risk Act (S.C. 2002, c.29) (SARA), the competent ministers are responsible for reporting on the implementation of the recovery strategy for a species at risk, and on the progress towards meeting its objectives within five years of the date when the final recovery strategy was placed on the Species at Risk Public Registry and in every subsequent five-year period, until its objectives have been achieved or the species’ recovery is no longer feasible.

Reporting on the progress of recovery strategy implementation requires reporting on the collective efforts of the competent minister(s), provincial and territorial governments, and all other parties involved in conducting activities that contribute towards the species’ recovery. Recovery strategies identify broad strategies and approaches that will provide the best chance of recovering species at risk. Some of the identified strategies and approaches are sequential to the progress or completion of others and not all may be undertaken or show significant progress during the timeframe of a report on the progress of recovery strategy implementation (progress report).

The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Minister responsible for the Parks Canada Agency (PCA) are the competent minister(s) under SARA for the Pugnose Shiner and have prepared this progress report.

As stated in the preamble to SARA, success in the recovery of species at risk depends on the commitment and cooperation of many different constituencies that will be involved in implementing the directions set out in the recovery strategy and will not be achieved by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and, PCA, or any other jurisdiction alone. The cost of conserving species at risk is shared amongst different constituencies. All Canadians are invited to join in supporting and implementing the recovery strategy for the Pugnose Shiner for the benefit of the species and Canadian society as a whole.

Acknowledgments

This progress report was prepared by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. To the extent possible, this progress report has been prepared with inputs from PCA, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, the Canadian Wildlife Service as well as conservation authorities and academic institutions. Fisheries and Oceans Canada would also like to express its appreciations to all individuals and organizations who have contributed to the recovery of the Pugnose Shiner.

Executive summary

The Pugnose Shiner was listed as endangered under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) in 2003 and was reclassified as threatened in 2019. The “Recovery Strategy for the Pugnose Shiner (Notropis anogenus) in Canada” was finalized and published on the Species at Risk Public Registry in 2012.

The main threats identified for the Pugnose Shiner include habitat loss and degradation resulting from poor agricultural practices, leading to siltation and turbidity, increases in lakeshore development, and the removal of aquatic vegetation, as well as human-induced changes in water quality/quantity.

The population and distribution objectives for the Pugnose Shiner are to ensure the persistence of self-sustaining population(s) at the 12 extant locations (Teeswater River, Old Ausable Channel, Mouth Lake, Lake St. Clair and tributaries, St. Clair Unit of the St. Clair National Wildlife Area, Canard River, Long Point Bay/Big Creek, Wellers Bay, West Lake, East Lake, Waupoos Bay, and the St. Lawrence River [between Eastview and Mallorytown Landing, including the Thousand Islands National Park]) and restore self-sustaining population(s) in Rondeau Bay, Point Pelee National Park, and the Gananoque River, where feasible.

During the time period reported by this progress report, substantial progress has been made with regard to the implementation of survey and monitoring. For example, survey and monitoring projects, including both targeted and multi-species sampling, have been conducted throughout much of the species’ known distribution, as well as novel areas where the Pugnose Shiner was suspected to occur, leading to its detection at several new locations. These new locations include: the St. Clair River; West Otter Creek; the lower section of the Sydenham River; the south shore of Lake St. Clair; the inlet to the Detroit River; the Trent River; and, a number of locations in the St. Lawrence River. Furthermore, significant progress has been made in addressing research measures described in the recovery strategy. These projects include: the assessment of gear types and sampling approaches, which represents a step toward the development of a standardized sampling protocol; an investigation of the impacts of elevated turbidity levels on the behaviour and swimming performance of the Pugnose Shiner; the initiation of experiments that will explore the response of this species, in terms of metabolic rate and swimming performance, to elevated temperature regimes; threat assessment research that pertains to dissolved oxygen levels and winter kill events in the Old Ausable Channel, as well as the realized and/or projected impacts of invasive species such as the Common Reed and the Grass Carp; and, lastly, research that has been initiated that examines the feasibility of translocations or repatriations as a recovery tool.

Moving forward, it is important to fill remaining knowledge gaps and address measures that have not been completed, such as: characterizing the habitat needs of each life stage of Pugnose Shiner; finalizing a sampling protocol and monitoring program; and, the development of population-habitat supply models for each life stage in each location. Similarly, there are a number of locations where further targeted sampling should be conducted, including: the majority of locations where the species is extant; historical locations (Point Pelee National Park and Rondeau Bay); new locations where the species has recently been detected; and, suspected locations (for example, Lake St. Clair tributaries; locations within eastern Lake Ontario; the upper St. Lawrence River; and, the Gananoque River). Furthermore, threat management/mitigation measures should be conducted where feasible to reduce factors leading to the decline of Pugnose Shiner populations. Lastly, the discovery of the species within a number of new locations also suggests that the population and distribution objectives for this species should be revaluated to reflect new information that has been acquired.

1. Introduction

The “Report on the Progress of Recovery Strategy Implementation for the Pugnose Shiner (Notropis anogenus) in Canada for the Period 2012 to 2017^{Footnote 1} ” (progress report) outlines the progress made towards meeting the objectives listed in the “Recovery Strategy for the Pugnose Shiner (Notropis anogenus) in Canada” (recovery strategy) during the indicated time period and should be considered as part of a series of documents for this species that are linked and should be taken into consideration together. These include the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) status reports (COSEWIC 2002 [488 KB]; COSEWIC 2013 [1.1 MB]), a recovery potential assessment (DFO 2010 [219 KB]), and the recovery strategy (DFO 2012 [4.5 MB]).

Section 2 of the progress report reproduces or summarizes key information on the threats to the species, population and distribution objectives for achieving its recovery, approaches to meeting the objectives, and performance indicators to measure the progress of recovery. For more details, readers should refer back to the “Recovery Strategy for the Pugnose Shiner (Notropis anogenus) in Canada [4.5 MB].” (DFO 2012). Section 3 reports the progress of activities identified in the recovery strategy, to support achieving the population and distribution objectives. Section 4 summarizes the progress toward achieving the objectives.

2. Background

COSEWIC assessment summary

The listing of the Pugnose Shiner under the Species at Risk Act (S.C. 2002, c.29) (SARA) in 2003 led to the development and publication of the recovery strategy for the Pugnose Shiner in Canada. The recovery strategy is consistent with the information provided in the COSEWIC status report (COSEWIC 2002 [488 KB]). This information has also been included in section 1.1 of the recovery strategy. The listing of the species under SARA and the development of the recovery strategy were further informed by the “Recovery potential assessment of Pugnose Shiner (Notropis anogenus) in Canada” (DFO 2010 [219 KB]).

Assessment summary: November 2002

Common name: Pugnose Shiner
Scientific name: Notropis anogenus
Status: Endangered
Reason for designation: The Pugnose Shiner has a limited, fragmented Canadian distribution, being found only in Ontario where it is subject to declining habitat quality. The isolated nature of its preferred habitat may prevent connectivity of fragmented populations and may prevent gene flow between existing populations and inhibit re-colonization of other suitable habitats.
Occurrence: Ontario
Status history: Designated Special Concern in April 1985. Status re-examined and uplisted to Endangered in November 2002. Last assessment based on an update status report.

In 2013, COSEWIC re-assessed the Pugnose Shiner as threatened (COSEWIC 2013 [1.1 MB]); subsequently, the SARA status of the Pugnose Shiner was changed to threatened in 2019.

Assessment summary: May 2013

Common name: Pugnose Shiner
Scientific name: Notropis anogenus
Status: Threatened
Reason for designation: The species has a small area of occupancy and consists of numerous small populations, many of which may not be viable. At least two populations have been extirpated. Habitat degradation and loss continues to threaten populations, particularly in the western part of their distribution in the Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie watersheds.
Occurrence: Ontario
Status history: Designated Special Concern in April 1985. Status re-examined and designated Endangered in November 2002. Status re-examined and designated Threatened in May 2013.

2.2 Distribution

Since 2011, the Pugnose Shiner has been detected in several new locations and reconfirmed in locations where the species was known to be extant throughout its Canadian range (figures 1 and 2).

2.3 Threats to the species and its critical habitat

Section 1.5 of the recovery strategy provides information on threats to the survival and recovery of the Pugnose Shiner.

Population-level threats for the Pugnose Shiner, ranked by priority were initially identified in the recovery potential assessment (RPA) (DFO 2010 [219 MB]); however, since that publication, the threats table was updated in the recovery strategy to include threats in Mouth Lake, where the species was discovered later that year. Since the publication of the recovery strategy and the RPA, research has been conducted or is underway that further investigates the potential impacts of: invasive species such as the Common Reed (Phragmites australis australis) and Asian carps, specifically the Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella); water quality issues that directly or indirectly affect the Pugnose Shiner including turbidity, higher water temperatures, reduced dissolved oxygen, as well as unnaturally/artificially high levels of nitrate and ammonia; and, anthropogenic activities, specifically drain maintenance.

2.4 Recovery

This section summarizes the information found in the recovery strategy on the recovery goal and objectives and the population and distribution objectives that are necessary for the recovery of the Pugnose Shiner. This section also describes the performance indicators that provide a way to define and measure progress toward achieving these objectives.

Recovery goal:

The long-term recovery goal (over the next 20 years) for the Pugnose Shiner is to maintain self-sustaining populations at existing locations and restore self-sustaining populations to historical locations, where feasible.

Population and distribution objective:

The population and distribution objective for the Pugnose Shiner is to ensure the persistence of self-sustaining population(s) at the 12 extant locations (Teeswater River, Old Ausable Channel [OAC], Mouth Lake, Lake St. Clair and tributaries, St. Clair Unit of the St. Clair National Wildlife Area [NWA], Canard River, Long Point Bay/Big Creek, Wellers Bay, West Lake, East Lake, Waupoos Bay, and the St. Lawrence River [between Eastview and Mallorytown Landing, including the Thousand Islands National Park]) and restore self-sustaining population(s) in Rondeau Bay, Point Pelee National Park, and the Gananoque River, where feasible.

Section 2.6 of the recovery strategy includes the following performance indicators to define and measure progress toward achieving the recovery objectives. These indicators are outlined in table 1.

3. Progress towards recovery

The recovery strategy (DFO 2012) divides the recovery effort into three broad strategies: 1) research and monitoring; 2) management and coordination; and, 3) stewardship, outreach and communication. Progress in carrying out these broad strategies is reported in section 3.1. Section 3.2 reports on the activities identified in the schedule of studies to identify critical habitat. Section 3.3 reports on the progress on meeting the performance indicators and other commitments (for example, action plan and critical habitat order) identified in the recovery strategy and information obtained through implementing the recovery strategy.

3.1 Activities supporting recovery

Tables 2 to 4 provide information on the implementation of activities undertaken to address the measures associated with each broad strategy identified in the recovery planning tables (tables 5 to 7) of the recovery strategy (DFO 2012). Each activity has been assigned one of four statuses:

1. completed: the planned activity has been carried out and concluded
2. in progress: the planned activity is underway and has not concluded
3. not started: the activity has been planned but has yet to start
4. cancelled: the planned activity will not be started or completed

a. Lead participant(s) is/are listed on top and in bold; other participants are listed alphabetically. Not all activities have specific participants identified.

3.2 Activities supporting the identification of critical habitat

Table 5 provides information on the implementation of the studies outlined in the schedule of studies to identify critical habitat in the recovery strategy. Each study has been assigned one of four statuses:

1. completed: the study has been carried out and concluded
2. in progress: the study is underway and has not concluded
3. not started: the study has been planned but has yet to start
4. cancelled: the study will not be started or completed

3.3 Summary of progress towards recovery

3.3.1 Status of performance indicators

Table 6 provides a summary of the progress made toward meeting the performance indicators outlined in table 1 during the period of 2012 to 2017. Each indicator has been assigned one of five statuses:

1. not met: the performance indicator has not been met, and little to no progress has been made
2. not met, underway: the performance indicator has not been met, but there has been moderate to significant progress made
3. met: the performance indicator has been met and no further action is required
4. met, ongoing: the performance indicator has been met, but efforts will continue until such time the population is considered to be recovered (that is, the indicator will be reported against in the next five-year progress report)
5. cancelled: the performance indicator has been determined to be irrelevant

3.3.2 Completion of action plan

The “Action Plan for the Ausable River in Canada: an ecosystem approach” (DFO 2020) includes recovery activities for the Pugnose Shiner and has been published on the Species at Risk Public Registry. Although an ecosystem/multispecies document, this action plan includes several components that specifically implement recovery objectives for the Pugnose Shiner in the OAC as well as Mouth Lake. The “Multi-species Action Plan for the Thousand Islands National Park of Canada” (PCA 2016) also includes recovery actions that will benefit Pugnose Shiner found within the Thousand Islands National Park.

3.3.3 Critical habitat identification and protection

Critical habitat was partially identified in the recovery strategy at a number of locations. For more information, refer to the recovery strategy. The critical habitat of the Pugnose Shiner in the St. Clair Unit of the St. Clair NWA, Big Creek, and Long Point NWAs, as well as the habitat identified within PCA’s jurisdiction in Thousand Islands National Park, is already protected by the prohibition against destruction of critical habitat by the publication of a description of critical habitat in the Canada Gazette in 2016, pursuant to subsection 58(2) of SARA, which was required within 90 days of the description of critical habitat being identified in the recovery strategy. This prohibition provides additional protection to that already afforded and available under the Canada Wildlife Act, as well as the Wildlife Area Regulation associated with this statute. Since the publication of the recovery strategy, surveys have been conducted to identify further critical habitat in novel areas where suitable habitat is available. The Pugnose Shiner was detected at the following locations: St. Clair River; West Otter Creek; the lower section of the Sydenham River; the south shore of Lake St. Clair; the inlet to the Detroit River; and, a number of locations in the St. Lawrence River. Based on these detections, the identification of further critical habitat at new locations may be warranted when the recovery strategy is amended.

3.3.4 Recovery feasibility

Currently, there is no need to review the recovery feasibility for this species as no new information has been gathered that would suggest that Pugnose Shiner populations, within Canadian waters, no longer meet the feasibility criteria laid out in the recovery strategy. For example, there are still enough reproducing individuals and suitable habitat to support recovery objectives, and threats to the species can be or have been addressed through restoration efforts and the promotion of best management practices. Furthermore, the aforementioned new locations where the species has been detected serve to reinforce this.

4. Concluding statement

A substantial amount of progress has been made in terms of the implementation of survey and monitoring measures prescribed in the recovery strategy (DFO 2012). For example, targeted sampling has been conducted in two areas where: the species is known to be extant (St. Lawrence River, Teeswater River) confirming its continued presence and providing data to derive abundance estimates; and, at locations where the species may occur (Consecon Lake, Lake on the Mountain, Presqu’ile Bay, and North Beach). Furthermore, non-targeted sampling has led to the detection of the species in several new locations such as: the St. Clair River; West Otter Creek; the lower section of the Sydenham River; the south shore of Lake St. Clair; the inlet to the Detroit River; the Trent River; as well as a number of new locations in the upper St. Lawrence River.

A number of research objectives have also been met in the last five years including: investigations into the effects of elevated turbidity levels on this species; assessments of mechanisms driving winter fish kills within the OAC, including investigations of low dissolved oxygen levels, invasive aquatic macrophytes, and ground water sources of nitrates and phosphorus; anthropogenic threats (drain maintenance) to Pugnose Shiner habitat and habitat connectivity in Little Bear Creek; modelling research pertaining to Pugnose Shiner habitat availability and distribution within the upper St. Lawrence River; modelling research that explores effectiveness of compensation approaches for offsetting habitat loss; and lastly, the characterization of the population structure of the Pugnose Shiner throughout its Canadian range.

In addition to these aforementioned projects, there are a number of unfinished research objectives that are currently underway for this species including: experiments that will explore the response of this species, in terms of metabolic rate and swimming performance, to elevated temperature regimes; and laboratory studies to examine the feasibility of supplementation/translocation approaches to species recovery.

Progress has also been made with regard to stewardship and outreach related activities. Stewardship activities, including vegetation planting and riparian restoration, as well as other habitat improvement activities have been conducted at several locations where the Pugnose Shiner is extant. Furthermore, substantial outreach activities have been conducted by DFO as well as a number of external agencies through Habitat Stewardship Program funding, which included information on the Pugnose Shiner and its habitat needs.   

Despite this progress, there still remain a number of recovery activities that are yet to be implemented, which should be undertaken where/when feasible. These include, but are not limited to: more conclusive research to inform the development of a sampling protocol and inevitably a standardized index population and habitat monitoring program, the feasibility of which will likely be investigated in 2018; additional research centred on the habitat needs of each life stage of the Pugnose Shiner, building on the findings of Dextrase et al. (2014); and, the creation of a population-habitat supply model for each life stage. Similarly, there are a number of locations where further targeted sampling should be conducted including: the majority of locations where the species is extant; historical locations (Point Pelee National Park and Rondeau Bay); new locations where the species has recently been detected; and, suspected locations (for example, Lake St. Clair tributaries; locations within eastern Lake Ontario; the upper St. Lawrence River; and, the Gananoque River). Furthermore, threat management/mitigation measures should be conducted where feasible to reduce factors leading to the decline of Pugnose Shiner populations.

Lastly, the discovery of the species within a number of new locations also suggests that the population and distribution objectives for this species should be revaluated to reflect new information that has been acquired. 

5. References

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