The Round Hickorynut (Obovaria subrotunda) and Kidneyshell (Ptychobranchus fasciolaris): report on the progress of recovery strategy implementation for the period 2013 to 2018

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 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; not all may be undertaken or show significant progress during the time frame of a report on the progress of recovery strategy implementation (progress report).

The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is the competent minister under SARA for the Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell and has 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) 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 Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell for the benefit of the species and Canadian society as a whole.

Acknowledgements

This progress report was prepared by Josh Stacey (DFO) with input from Amy Boyko (DFO). To the extent possible, this progress report has been prepared with input from DFO Science, the province of Ontario, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

Executive summary

The Round Hickorynut (Obovaria subrotunda) and the Kidneyshell (Ptychobranchus fasciolaris) were both listed as endangered under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) in 2005. A recovery strategy for these species was first published in 2006. An updated “Recovery Strategy for the Round Hickorynut (Obovaria subrotunda) and Kidneyshell (Ptychobranchus fasciolaris) in Canada” (DFO 2013) was finalized and published on the Species at Risk Public Registry in 2013.

The main threats identified for these two species include invasive species (that is, dreissenid mussels, Round Goby), siltation and sedimentation, physical habitat loss, and reduced water quality.

The population and distribution objectives for Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell are to return/maintain self-sustaining populations in the following locations:

1. St. Clair River delta and East Sydenham River (Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell)
2. Ausable River and Thames River (including Medway Creek) (Kidneyshell)

During the time period reported by this progress report, the following activities have been accomplished in support of the recovery objectives as stated in the recovery strategy:

• research has been conducted that investigates the life history of Kidneyshell including potential host fishes and the timing of reproductive activities  
• research into the feasibility of culturing and rearing Kidneyshell for future repatriations is currently underway
• genetic variation among Canadian populations of Kidneyshell has been assessed and characterized
• surveys have been completed in areas where both Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell occur, including extant and historical locations  
• progress has been made in terms of outreach and awareness of these species and stewardship practices that should be adopted to reduce threats to their habitat through funding provided to external agencies through the Habitat Stewardship Program

Taken together, these ongoing and/or completed activities indicate that progress is being made toward the goal of recovering Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell populations in Canada; however, there are still a number of areas where further information is required. In particular,  more research centred on Round Hickorynut is needed. The majority of life-history research conducted in the five years covered by this report has been centred on Kidneyshell and should also be implemented for Round Hickorynut. Further monitoring is also needed for Round Hickorynut within the Sydenham River, as well as Kidneyshell in the Thames River and St. Clair River delta to determine whether those populations are declining.

1. Introduction

This progress report outlines the progress made towards meeting the objectives listed in the “Recovery Strategy for the Round Hickorynut (Obovaria subrotunda) and Kidneyshell (Ptychobranchus fasciolaris) in Canada” from 2013 to 2018 and should be considered part of a series of documents for these species that are linked and should be taken into consideration together, including the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) status appraisal summary on the Kidneyshell [PDF 718 KB] (2013), the COSEWIC status appraisal summary on the Round Hickorynut [PDF 669 KB]  (2013) and the recovery strategy [1.9 MB] (Fisheries and Oceans Canada [DFO] 2013)^{Footnote 1} .

Section 2 of the progress report reproduces and summarizes key information on the threats to the species, population and distribution objectives for achieving their 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. Section 3 reports the progress of activities identified in the recovery strategy to support achieving the population and distribution objectives. Section 4 provides a concluding statement about the progress made and the outcome of the recovery effort.

2. Background

2.1 COSEWIC assessment summary

The listing of the Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell as endangered under the Species at Risk Act (S.C. 2002, c.29) (SARA) in 2005 led to the development and publication of the recovery strategy for these two species in 2013 (DFO 2013). The recovery strategy was mainly based on the information provided in the COSEWIC assessment and status reports for each of these species (COSEWIC 2013a; COSEWIC 2013b). This information has also been included in section 1.1 of the recovery strategy.

Round Hickorynut

Assessment summary: May 2013

Common name Round Hickorynut

Scientific name Obovaria subrotunda

Status Endangered

Reason for designation The Canadian population of this species has declined by 75 to 95% over the last 10 years, with an estimated 99% decline over the last 30 years. Populations in the Grand and Thames rivers are extirpated and populations in the Sydenham River and Lake St. Clair have declined to very low levels. Losses and declines are due to the combined effects of pollution from agriculture and residential runoff, and the impacts of invasive species like the Zebra Mussel.

Occurrence Ontario

COSEWIC status history Designated endangered in May 2003. Its status was re-examined and confirmed in May 2013.

Kidneyshell

Assessment summary: May 2013

Common name Kidneyshell

Scientific name Ptychobranchus fasciolaris

Status Endangered

Reason for designation By 2001, this species had been lost from about 70% of its historical range in Canada due to the impacts of the Zebra Mussel and habitat loss from land use practices. It is now restricted to the East Sydenham and Ausable rivers, Lake St. Clair delta, and Medway Creek of the Thames River. The population in Lake St. Clair is close to extirpation. Both Ausable and East Sydenham river populations appear to be reproducing, but populations in Medway Creek and Lake St. Clair are not reproducing. Populations are threatened by pollution from agriculture, urban and road runoff sources, and invasive species (dreissenids and Round Goby)

Occurrence Ontario

COSEWIC status history Designated endangered in May 2003. Its status was re-examined and confirmed in May 2013.

2.2  Distribution

Since the publication of the recovery strategy in 2013, Round Hickorynut has only been detected within the east Sydenham River and the St. Clair River delta (figure 1). The number of sites where live Round Hickorynut were detected has declined when compared to its 1996 to 2010 distribution shown in the recovery strategy.

Live Kidneyshell have continued to be detected in the east Sydenham River and the Ausable River; however, no live specimens were detected in the Thames River or the St. Clair River delta. At the time of the recovery strategy publication, one live specimen had been discovered in Medway Creek, a tributary of the Thames River. No live specimens have been detected in the Thames River since 2010; however, one fresh shell has been found in the Thames River indicating the species likely still occurs there.

Weathered shells of both species were detected in Rondeau Bay in 2014 for the first time (figures 1 and 2); however, it is unlikely that any live specimens remain at that location. Similarly, neither species has been detected within eastern Lake Erie tributaries during the timeframe reported in this document (figures 1 and 3).

2.3 Threats

This section summarizes the most recent information on threats to survival and recovery of Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell as well as threats to their critical habitat.

2.3.1 Threats to Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell

Population-level threats for Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell, ranked by priority were identified in the recovery strategy (DFO 2013). For more information on these threats and examples of activities that are likely to result in the destruction of critical habitat, please refer to section 1.5 and section 7.6 of the recovery strategy, respectively.

2.4 Recovery

This section summarizes the information found in the recovery strategy (DFO 2013) on the population and distribution objectives necessary for the recovery of Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell. This section also describes the performance indicators that provide a way to define and measure progress toward achieving the population and distribution objectives.

Section 2 of the recovery strategy identified the following goals and objectives necessary for the recovery of the species:

Recovery goals

The long-term goals of this recovery strategy are to:

1. prevent the extirpation of Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell in Canada
2. return healthy self-sustaining populations of Round Hickorynut to the East Sydenham River and St. Clair River delta
3. maintain healthy self-sustaining Kidneyshell populations in the Ausable and East Sydenham rivers while returning the St. Clair River delta and Thames River (including Medway Creek) populations to self-sustaining levels
4. re-establish populations in historically occupied habitats, excluding areas where dreissenids have made habitats unsuitable

Population and distribution objectives

The population and distribution objectives for these species are to return/maintain self-sustaining populations in the following locations:

1. St. Clair River delta and East Sydenham River (Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell)
2. Ausable River and Thames River - including Medway Creek (Kidneyshell)

Recovery objectives

The short-term recovery objectives toward achieving the population and distribution objectives are:

1. determine extent, abundance and population demographics of existing populations
2. determine host fishes and their distributions and abundances
3. define key habitat requirements to identify critical habitat
4. establish a long-term monitoring program for Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell populations, their hosts and the habitat of both
5. identify threats, evaluate their relative importance and implement remedial actions to minimize their impacts
6. examine the feasibility of relocations, reintroductions and the establishment of managed refuge sites
7. increase awareness about the distribution, threats and recovery of these species

2.4.1 Performance indicators

The recovery strategy did not include performance indicators or measures to define and evaluate progress towards achieving the recovery goals and objectives. Progress will be informed by the advancement of the recovery strategy goals and objectives as described in section 3 below.

3. Progress towards recovery

The recovery strategy for Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell divides the recovery approaches into four broad strategies: 1) research and monitoring; 2) management; 3) stewardship; and 4) awareness. 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 towards meeting the recovery objectives and other commitments (for example, action plans and critical habitat orders) identified in the recovery strategy and information obtained through its implementation.

3.1 Activities supporting recovery

[a] In this case, a host fish on which encysted glochidia may experience little to no survival.

[b] The rate at which particles, consumed as food items, are filtered out of the water by mussels.

[c] Refers to a value that represents the combined interactive effects of water velocity and algal concentration.

[d] Bed shear stress is a measure of fluid force per unit of area on the stream bed.

[e] In this instance saltation refers to the transport of particles from the streambed to a downstream location.

[f] In this case, a host fish on which encysted glochidia may experience little to no survival.

[g] The rate at which mussels feed on suspended particles.

[h] Refers to a value that represents the combined interactive effects of water velocity and algal concentration.

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 from 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 evaluation

Table 6 provides a summary of the progress made toward meeting the five-year recovery objectives outlined in section 3 of the recovery strategy for the Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell in Canada. Each indicator has been assigned one of four statuses:

1. not met: the recovery objective has not been met, and little to no progress has been made
2. not met, underway: the recovery objective has not been met, but there has been moderate to significant progress made
3. met: the recovery objective has been met and no further action is required
4. met, ongoing: the recovery objective 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)

3.3.2 Completion of action plans

The “Action Plan for the Ausable River in Canada: An Ecosystem Approach” (2018) includes recovery activities for Kidneyshell. Furthermore, the “Action Plan for the Sydenham River in
Canada: An Ecosystem Approach” (2018) includes activities for implementation that apply to both Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell.

3.3.3 Critical habitat identification and protection

Using the best available information, critical habitat has been identified for Round Hickorynut in the East Sydenham River. Critical habitat has been identified for Kidneyshell in the Ausable River, East Sydenham River, lower Thames River, and Medway Creek (a tributary of the Thames River). The critical habitat for these two species is identified in the recovery strategy (2013). Critical habitat orders for both species came into effect in 2019.  

3.3.4 Recovery feasibility

There may be a need to review the recovery feasibility for these two species considering new information has been gathered that would suggest that their respective populations within Canadian waters no longer meet the feasibility criteria laid out in the recovery strategy. For example, there may not be enough reproducing individuals of Round Hickorynut in the Sydenham River or Kidneyshell in the St. Clair River Delta and Thames River to support recovery objectives. The recovery for these two species in these respective locations may only be feasible if more active approaches are employed such as supplemental stocking, for which there is currently no supporting policy or facilitative infrastructure in place. It is worth noting that the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (OMNRF) is currently rearing Kidneyshell to build capacity and expertise should population augmentation become a necessity in the future.   

4. Concluding statement

Since the publication of the updated recovery strategy with the inclusion of critical habitat in 2013, there has been a fair amount of progress with regard to recovery implementation. For example, both quadrat and timed-search monitoring surveys have been conducted within occupied locations in the Thames (Kidneyshell), Sydenham (both species) and Ausable rivers (Kidneyshell), and modified survey methods have been undertaken within the St. Clair delta, which apply to both species. In addition, sampling has also been conducted in areas that were historically occupied by both species including Pelee Island and the Grand and Welland rivers. Further monitoring is needed within the Sydenham and Thames rivers to determine if populations of Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell, respectively, are declining or are just less likely to be reliably detected using the quadrat approach. It is important to detect and thoroughly confirm these potential population trends as it may lead to alterations to the population and distribution objectives in the future, and consequently the feasibility of recovery for some populations.

Significant progress has also been made in terms of research focused on Kidneyshell including: life-history studies; host fish confirmation laboratory studies; genetic research to investigate population structure; and research regarding the culturing of Kidneyshell to facilitate potential repatriation measures in the future. In contrast, these same research measures were not undertaken for Round Hickorynut, and therefore should be conducted in the future to elucidate these knowledge gaps. In addition, the habitat requirements of both species at each specific life stage remain to be characterized, and surveys have not been conducted to inventory and map suitable unoccupied habitat as was prescribed in the recovery strategy.

Management and coordination has been ongoing in terms of capacity building and inter-jurisdictional cooperation (for example, working with recovery teams and municipal planners); however, future efforts should be made to encourage municipalities to reduce chloride loading, educate individuals within the baitfish industry to reduce impacts to the host fish species for both Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell and educate them regarding the unionid life cycle, and encourage wastewater treatment plants and stormwater management facilities to upgrade where appropriate to increase water quality at downstream locations.

Progress has also been made with regard to outreach and awareness activities, which have been conducted by DFO as well as external agencies through funding from the Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP), to inform the general public about freshwater mussels including Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell, their status, the threats that are affecting them as well as best management practices that can be adopted to minimize impacts from human activities. In addition, habitat improvement activities have been conducted in the Ausable River (Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority [ABCA]) and Sydenham River (St. Clair Region Conservation Authority [SCRCA] and Carolinian Canada Coalition [CCC]), which should reduce the threat of sedimentation and improve water quality downstream.

Future recovery efforts for these two species should be focused on implementing the monitoring, research, and management measures, which have not been adequately addressed in the last five years. Specifically, more effort may need to be focused on Round Hickorynut to make informed decisions on the management of this species when updating the recovery strategy in the future.

5. References

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