Abstract
Determining the feasibility of recovering an endangered species is an explicit component of recovery planning in the Species at Risk Act (SARA), Canada. This exploratory study addressed a key knowledge gap—the limited research on recovery feasibility under SARA—by examining whether and how perceptions of recovery feasibility have changed over time for inner Bay of Fundy (iBoF) Atlantic salmon, and the factors affecting the reassessment of feasibility. I used a mixed-methods, qualitative approach analyzing policy documents and semi-structured interview responses. The findings indicated growing uncertainty about the feasibility of recovery and whether the current recovery objectives remained appropriate for the species. The logistical, organizational, and policy complexity of iBoF salmon management were barriers to reassessing recovery feasibility, though the Recovery Team expressed support for reassessment, viewing it as an opportunity to re-examine the objectives of recovery efforts and to chart a course for the future of this iconic species.
iBoF salmon have been the subject of recovery efforts for over 20 years, yet they remain endangered as their abundance and rates of return have failed to improve since their listing in 2003. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) determined in 2010 that the recovery of iBoF salmon was feasible if threats to the species could be better understood, and if those threats could be mitigated or avoided. While more recent recovery planning documents maintained that position, and the majority of Recovery Team members that I interviewed believed recovery was still achievable for iBoF salmon, their perspectives also expressed greater concern than in 2010 about the feasibility of achieving the objectives set out in the Recovery Strategy. The continued endangerment of the species raised questions about whether the population was suffering from Allee effects; whether portions of the Bay of Fundy and its watersheds had become inhospitable to salmon; and whether current recovery efforts could even lead to recovery for the species in current conditions. The fact that financial and capacity resources had declined for iBoF salmon recovery compounded these concerns.
In the 2010 Recovery Strategy, DFO committed to reassessing recovery feasibility of iBoF salmon every five years, yet no such reassessment has been completed as of August 2024, partly due to a lack of new information about threats to the species. The current organizational culture of the Recovery Team, and the declining support for iBoF salmon at the governance level, were also identified as barriers to reassessment. Conversations with the interviewees revealed divergent definitions of “recovery” and “feasibility” for the species among Recovery Team members, further hindering reassessment efforts. However, members of the Recovery Team stated that reassessing recovery feasibility was important for the present management of iBoF salmon and identified avenues for undertaking such a reassessment including supporting the Recovery Team’s role as a hub for recovery efforts, improving the uptake and use of non-DFO information, and establishing clearer guidelines for determining recovery feasibility. The complexity of iBoF salmon recovery is matched by the interest expressed by stakeholders and rights holders involved in recovery efforts. Gaining a better understanding of the stakeholders’ perceptions of the feasibility of recovery for iBoF salmon, as well as the challenges to reassessing that feasibility, presents opportunities to improve recovery planning efforts for this iconic species.
Citation
Noël, S. L. (2024) An examination of recovery feasibility determination, and factors affecting its reassessment, for inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon under the Species at Risk Act. [Unpublished master’s thesis], Dalhousie University. http://hdl.handle.net/10222/84556
Related Blog Post
Noël, S. L. (2024, October 29). Dynamics of information flow at the science-policy interface for endangered Inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon. EIUI Blog. https://eiui.ca/dynamics-of-information-flow-at-the-science-policy-interface-for-endangered-inner-bay-of-fundy-atlantic-salmon/