npawg update: canada

NPAWG Update: CanadaLouise K. Blight

Centre for Applied Conservation Research, University of British Columbia

Overview

•Background on Canadian work

•Update on BFAL status

•Update on STAL

•No update on bycatch

Glossary•COSEWIC = Committee on the Status

of Endangered Wildlife in Canada - scientific that committee does status assessments

•SARA = Species At Risk Act

•Taxa assessed by COSEWIC are protected once they are added to SARA Schedule 1 by federal government

Background•Canada primarily working on N. Pacific

albatross species via recovery planning (federal gov’t) and bycatch measures

•Two albatross spp. assessed in Canada - BFAL and STAL

•Legal SARA listing enables recovery planning, increases available funding, commits gov’t to action planning

Black-footed Albatross (I)

•COSEWIC status report finalised (2007)

•Species assessed by COSEWIC as “Special Concern” for Canada

•Comment on USFWS listing petition (JLS) based on status report

TextLK Blight

Black-footed Albatross (II)

•Still in review process - not yet added to SARA Schedule 1

•Listing currently in consultation period

•Comments due by 18 April (sararegistry.gc.ca)

•Does NPAWG want to comment?

•Management plan is next step

LK Blight

Short-tailed Albatross (I)

•Assessed as Threatened 2003

•Listed SARA Schedule 1 2005

•Recovery Team formed 2006 (KM Chair; LKB interim Chair 2008; members include JLS, PH)

H. Hasegawa

Short-tailed Albatross (II)

•Recovery Strategy (STAL & PFSH) drafted 2007 & posted for public comment 2008

•Recovery goal “to support and augment international efforts to restore and increase populations”

•Comments due 18 March

•Does NPAWG want to comment?

H. Hasegawa

Summary•Recovery planning still underway for

both BFAL and STAL in Canada

•Not a major proportion of populations in Canadian waters, but recovery planning still valuable to species overall

•Both BFAL status report and STAL/PFSH recovery strategy written with much support from NPAWG members

Questions?