NLIS 4
July 31, 2006
(Environment and Conservation)
Minister releases
management and recovery plans for vulnerable species
Clyde Jackman, Minister of Environment
and Conservation, today announced the release of management plans for
seven species that have been listed as vulnerable under the province�s
Endangered Species Act. The act requires management plans for
each of the listed vulnerable species. They include the banded killifish
(fundulus diaphanous), barrows goldeneye (bucephala islandica),
boreal felt lichen (erioderma pedicullatum), fernalds milk-vetch
(astragalus robinsii var. fernaldii), harlequin duck (histrionicus
histrionicus), ivory gull (pagophila eburnea) and the polar
bear (ursus maritimus).
"Management plans outline a course of
actions primarily aimed at ensuring that a vulnerable species does not
become threatened or endangered," said the minister. The minister also
released a recovery plan for the endangered red crossbill (loxia
curvirostra percna). Recovery plans are a requirement under the act
for listed threatened and endangered species and outline a series of
actions identified as necessary for the recovery of the species. All
management plans are available on the government web site located under
the Department of Environment and Conservation
The minister noted that the plans for the
banded killifish, harlequin duck, ivory gull and the red crossbill must
undergo a review and approval process under the federal Species at
Risk Act (SARA). "Once that process is complete and final versions
of the documents have been posted on the species at risk public
registry, the province will replace the current drafts with finalized
versions of the plan," said the minister. "In the meantime, the drafts
of these four reports are considered acceptable by the province for the
purposes of identifying goals, objectives and strategies for the
conservation of these species."
The management plan for the polar bear
was prepared in collaboration with the Nunatsiavut Government. The
boreal felt lichen management plan was prepared with significant input
from a boreal felt lichen working group that was established by the
Wildlife Division, and the red crossbill recovery plan was prepared in
conjunction with the red crossbill recovery team. The minister
acknowledged and thanked the working groups and recovery teams for their
valuable input and efforts. He also recognized the federal departments
of Fisheries and Oceans and Environment for partnering and taking the
lead in the development of plans for the banded killifish, harlequin
duck, ivory gull and the red crossbill.
"I am very pleased to release these plans
today," said Minister Jackman. "All of these management and recovery
plans are living documents which means they can be amended and updated
as new information becomes available."
For further information about these plans
contact Joe Brazil, Senior Manager, Endangered Species and Biodiversity,
Wildlife Division, 709-637-2356 or visit the department�s web site at
www.gov.nl.ca/env/wildlife/wildlife_at_risk.htm
For information about federally managed
species contact Derek Osborne, federal Department of Fisheries and
Oceans (banded killifish), (709) 772-5087 or email
osborned@dfo-mpo.gc.ca,
and Terri Green, federal Department of Environment (red crossbill,
harlequin duck and ivory gull) (902) 426-9168 or
Terri.green@ec.gc.ca.
Media contact: Diane Hart,
Communications, (709)729-2575, 685-4401
BACKGROUNDER
Polar bear
Polar bears in Newfoundland and
Labrador are part of the Davis Strait sub-population.
Polar bears are only found in the
northern part of the northern hemisphere and feed primarily on
seals.
It is unknown how many polar bears
are residents or transients in the province.
There are about 15,000 polar bears
in Canada; 20,000 - 25,000 in the world.
Hunting quota for Labrador is six
bears per year with all of the licences going to the Labrador Inuit.
The Wildlife Division is part of
national technical and advisory committees which review
jurisdictional quotas.
The management plan is a joint
effort between the province and the Nunatsiavut Government.
Listed as a vulnerable species in
July 2002.
There currently is a study ongoing
to determine the status of the Davis Strait polar bear
sub-population. The study is being led by Nunavut and the Province
of Newfoundland and Labrador is a partner.
Management actions include
identifying and protecting important habitat, determining what
percentage of the population is resident, where denning occurs,
determining a fair and equitable quota for the Labrador Inuit.
Barrows goldeneye
It is a small seaduck.
Primary management responsibility
rests with the Canadian Wildlife Service.
It is the eastern North American
population that is listed as vulnerable (July 2002).
There are about 4,500 birds in
eastern North America.
Most if not all birds winter and
nest in Quebec although there may be some nesting elsewhere. There
are a number of molting sites in Labrador.
Most threats are on the bird�s
breeding and wintering grounds in Quebec.
Primary role of the province is to
protect important habitat.
Banded killifish
It is a relatively small fish, found
at only seven sites in Newfoundland and is not known in Labrador,
and is secure elsewhere in Canada.
The seven locations in Newfoundland
are isolated from each other which is one of the reasons for its
vulnerability.
Some of the threats to habitat can
be mitigated by allowing for larger buffer zones around streams,
rivers and lakes such as is being done in the Indian Bay watershed.
Listed as a vulnerable species �
July 2002.
Ivory gull
Medium-sized gull that breeds in the
high Arctic.
Part of the population winters in
the cold waters off the province.
Primary management responsibility
rests with the Canadian Wildlife Service.
Province�s role in terms of
management is relatively limited to keeping records of sightings and
some possible enforcement.
Populations in the high arctic have
been dramatically declining and the species may be up-listed.
Listed as a vulnerable species �
July 2002.
Harlequin duck (eastern population)
Primary management responsibility
rests with the Canadian Wildlife Service.
A small duck which breeds in fast
flowing rivers and winters in coastal areas.
Originally assessed as endangered
but downlisted to vulnerable in 2001.
Listed as a vulnerable species �
July 2002.
Labrador is an important breeding
area with some breeding also occurring in Newfoundland.
A small per cent of the eastern
population winters off Cape St. Mary�s.
There appears to be a wintering
population of 1,800 � 2,000 birds.
Wintering populations can be
threatened by oil spills and dumping. Breeding populations can be
affected by the loss of breeding habitat and disturbance.
The province can play a role in
protecting important breeding, molting and wintering habitat.
Red crossbill, percna subspecies
Primary management responsibility
rests with the Canadian Wildlife Service.
The percna subspecies is unique to
Newfoundland. It has a larger bill than most other subspecies.
Listed as an endangered species.
Population is estimated to be
between 500 and 1,500 birds.
There has been a steep population
decline since the mid 1900s.
Causes for the decline remain
speculative. Research has been identified to investigate causes as
well as determine current status.
It feeds on the seeds from the cones
of coniferous trees.
Fernald�s milk-vetch
Less than 5,000 plants, which is
approximately 10 per cent of the world population and is within
Newfoundland and Labrador.
It is an herbaceous perennial plant
that grows in exposed limestone habitats.
It is endemic to the Strait of Belle
Isle area.
Only two sites thought to belong to
this variety are found within the province, at the Qu�bec-Labrador
border and on the highlands of St. John and Great Northern
Peninsula.
The milk-vetch genus is a difficult
one to differentiate and taxonomic studies will be done to clarify
the species concept.
Management will mainly consist of
habitat protection and monitoring before the results of the
taxonomic study will be available.
It is possible that the species
concept of fernald�s milk-vetch will change based on the study and
the management plan will be adjusted to reflect this.
Listed as a vulnerable species �
July 2002.
Boreal felt lichen
Newfoundland has more than 95 per
cent of the world population of this lichen.
Humid balsam fir forests with trees
at least 40 to 60 years old are the primary habitat.
This photosynthetic partner of this
lichen is a cyanobacterium, and these cyanolichens are generally
very sensitive to environmental conditions.
The reproductive mechanism of this
lichen is especially sensitive since in addition to mature lichen
individuals acting as spore sources, it depends on several other
organisms, including trees of older age classes, liverworts growing
on the trees, cyanobacteria, and invertebrates acting as spore
dispersal agents.
The species has been observed
throughout southern Newfoundland but the greatest concentrations are
found in the Bay d�Espoir area and on the Avalon Peninsula.
Large population declines have
recently been observed at several sites on the Avalon Peninsula.
Many anthropogenic activities and
natural factors, often acting in combination, threaten this lichen.
Many of the management challenges
are in part due to the lack of knowledge about the ecology of the
lichen and the plan identifies research topics and a monitoring
approach to address this issue.
Several areas where this lichen
occurs are subject to resource management conflicts and therefore
the plan was developed with input from a working group composed of
managers, researchers and stakeholders.
Listed as a vulnerable species �
July 2002.
2006 07 31
10:30 a.m. |