Squanga Lake species pair: Consultations on listing under the Species at Risk Act

Engagement

Let your opinions be heard

Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) provides legal protection for wildlife species at risk to conserve biological diversity. It also acknowledges that all Canadians have a role to play in the conservation of wildlife species. The Squanga Lake populations of small-bodied European Whitefish and large-bodied Lake Whitefish are being considered for addition to the List of Species at Risk as threatened. We would like to hear your opinion, comments, and suggestions on the possible ecological, cultural, social, and economic impacts and benefits of listing this species under SARA to inform a listing decision.

Adding a species to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk

The process of listing a species under SARA is triggered by a status assessment by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and ends with a Government of Canada decision on whether or not to add a species to the List of Species at Risk. Public engagement is conducted to gather the opinions of Canadians, and is an important step in this process.

Facts about the Squanga whitefish species pair

Across Canada, whitefish species have adapted to their environments in unique ways, creating distinct populations in individual lakes. In a few lakes, there are unique “species pairs,” where two distinct forms of whitefish live together but remain genetically separate. In the Yukon, whitefish species pairs have been found in three lakes; Dezadeash, Squanga and Little Teslin (Figure 2). Squanga Lake has separate small-bodied and large-bodied populations, descended either from originally-present Lake Whitefish ancestors or from European Whitefish that dispersed across the Beringian land bridge from Siberia. The Squanga Lake species pair is unique to this lake, and exists nowhere else in the world.

The Squanga whitefish species pair live in the same lake but do not interbreed. The small-bodied population matures faster, lives in the open waters of the lake, and feeds on plankton. In contrast, the large-bodied population lives near the bottom and feeds on larger prey such as clams, snails and aquatic insects. Differences in spawning location and timing are likely, but not currently known.

The existence of these two separate forms in Squanga Lake can be disrupted if a new aquatic species is introduced. For example, in the Yukon, whitefish species pairs are only found in lakes without Least Cisco, a species that competes with small-bodied whitefish for food. In Ontario, the introduction of cisco into a lake with a whitefish species pair led to the rapid extinction of the small-bodied form. Other invasive species, such as Zebra Mussels and Quagga Mussels, could also harm the ecosystem and disrupt the balance needed to maintain these unique whitefish pairs.

Who assigned threatened status to the Squanga whitefish species pair?

COSEWIC is an independent committee of experts that assesses which wildlife species are in danger of disappearing from Canada and assigns a risk status to these species. COSEWIC assessed the Squanga whitefish species pair as threatened in 2018. A threatened species is defined as one that is likely to become an endangered species if nothing is done to reverse the factors leading to its extinction.

Why is the Squanga whitefish species pair at risk?

COSEWIC assessed the Squanga whitefish species pair as threatened because they only occur in Squanga Lake and are vulnerable to severe decline or extinction if a new species is introduced.

Current abundance appears healthy; the COSEWIC assessment considers potential risk of rapid decline or extinction, rather than observed declines. Harvest is very low, and not considered to be a serious threat to the species’ survival at current levels.

If a species is listed under SARA

If the Squanga whitefish species pair is listed as threatened;

• SARA prohibitions against killing, harming, harassing, capturing, taking, possessing, collecting, buying, selling, or trading would take effect
  • Exemptions may be applied for subsistence use under Final Agreements
• A recovery strategy and action plan would be developed to identify measures to address threats, such as introduction of non-native species
• Funding would be available through SARA grants and contributions programs to support conservation measures
• Critical habitat would be identified and protected from destruction
• Activities affecting the species may be eligible for permits or exemptions under SARA, provided the activities do not jeopardize survival or recovery of the species

Additional information:

• COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on Whitefish in Canada (2018)
• Recovery Potential Assessment (2021)
• Management Scenarios Summary
• Socio-economic Analysis Summary
• More information on the Species at Risk Public Registry.