From Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society:

The Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society (FRSCS) is pleased to provide a copy of the draft Fraser River White Sturgeon Conservation Plan (Plan). This draft version of the Plan is being distributed for public review; comments are welcome and will be received until 15 September 2005.

The draft Plan is the result of collaborative efforts from the Fraser River White Sturgeon Working Group (a list of participants can be found on page iii of the text). The need for the Plan was identified in late 2002; at that time, the FRSCS sturgeon tagging program had achieved many of its original goals and both the FRSCS and government agencies felt it was important to prioritize future projects and activities so that available resources were being focused on the most important issues to assist in the recovery of Fraser River white sturgeon.

The Plan addresses white sturgeon conservation in the Fraser River watershed, excluding the Nechako River watershed, for which there is already a recovery plan. It is designed to be a high-level planning document that provides information on white sturgeon biology and conservation, identifies information gaps, and sets priorities for action by government and non-government organizations. It outlines general strategies and priorities for conservation, but is not highly-detailed or prescriptive. It is expected that detailed prescriptions for specific actions will be developed during future stages of conservation planning and management of white sturgeon across the full range of the species.

In January 2004, a “Forum on the future of Fraser River white sturgeon” was held in Chilliwack. This public workshop presented the framework and outline of the current Plan, and provided opportunity for public input and comment. In addition, a document entitled “Impacts to abundance and distribution of Fraser River white sturgeon: A summary of existing information and presentation of impact hypotheses” (Hatfield et al. 2004) was produced and circulated; information in this document forms the basis for section 5.0 of the Plan (Threats and Reasons for Decline).

White sturgeon occupy a significant position in the spiritual, aesthetic, and economic history of the peoples of British Columbia, and there has been broad support for conservation initiatives for this species over a long period of time. The Plan has thus been able to capitalize on a considerable history of research and management of white sturgeon in the Fraser River, and the Plan has benefited from the input of federal, provincial, and First Nations representatives, as well as a number of non-governmental representatives and stakeholders.

In November 2003, well after the conservation planning work had been initiated, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) evaluated the status of white sturgeon across its geographic range and designated the species as “endangered.” While it is recognized that some stocks of sturgeon, specifically the Nechako, Columbia, and Kootenay stocks, are at greater immediate risk than the three Fraser River mainstem stocks (upper, mid, and lower Fraser), COSEWIC considered the stock status and threats for each stock independently; based on COSEWIC’s technical criteria, each of the six stocks of white sturgeon in Canada were designated as “endangered,” and thus an overall (species) listing was warranted and applied.

The federal government is currently considering whether or not white sturgeon should now be legally listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA); a decision on this is expected in 2006. If listed under SARA, then a sturgeon recovery strategy that considers all stocks will be required. Given the relatively short timelines to complete a recovery strategy and the significant interest in sturgeon recovery demonstrated by First Nations and stakeholders, the federal and provincial governments are considering initiating a recovery planning process prior to the actual SARA listing decision.

While the draft Fraser River White Sturgeon Conservation Plan is not a SARA document, it contains many of the same elements of a recovery plan; we expect that information in the Plan could contribute significantly to the province-wide recovery strategy currently under consideration.

I would like to thank all members of the Fraser River White Sturgeon Working Group that provided their time, knowledge, and editorial attention to the content of the draft Plan. In addition, I want to acknowledge the initial vision and commitment of the BC Ministry of Environment and the FRSCS board of directors who, in partnership, instigated the initial design and strategic elements of activities that have culminated in the attached document.

This work was funded through grants from the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, the Vancouver Foundation, the Living Rivers Initiative, and the North Growth Foundation. Development of the draft Plan was supported by the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, the Fraser Basin Council, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the BC Aboriginal Fisheries Commission, Sto:lo First Nation, and the FRSCS.

Please provide all comments by 15 September 2005 by email to:

“Troy Nelson”

Thank you for your interest and input.

Best Regards,

Troy Nelson
Executive Director, Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society

Download the draft plan now! (PDF file)

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