Critical Habitat Orders

Critical Habitat of the Spotted Gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) Order

The long-term recovery goal (greater than 20 years), set out in the Recovery Strategy, is to protect, enhance and maintain viable Spotted Gar populations within the three coastal wetlands of Lake Erie, where extant populations occur. Efforts to achieve this recovery goal are ongoing and involve a number of recovery objectives outlined in the Recovery Strategy. Current threats to the Spotted Gar, as identified in the Recovery Strategy, are related to habitat modifications (e.g. dredging, infilling along shorelines, shoreline hardening, channelization and drainage works, installation of docks and piers), aquatic vegetation removal, sediment and nutrient loadings, exotic species, climate change, and barriers to movement, as well as fishing (incidental harvest). While there has been measurable progress towards meeting the recovery goal and objectives and performance indicators presented in the Recovery Strategy, additional information on the species’ ecology, population dynamics and distribution is required. Protection of critical habitat is an important component of ensuring the recovery of the Spotted Gar, particularly given its extremely limited distribution.

File(s)

Get Adobe Reader

Contact Person(s)

Director
SARA Directorate
Department of Fisheries and Oceans
200 Kent St.
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0E6
Send e-mail


Related Species

Links

  • No links available.