e-4831 (Fisheries)

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) recognizes that recreational fisheries play a critical role in the quality of life and economic development of communities. In Quebec, Striped Bass fishery management falls under the responsibility of the government of Quebec, which has been delegated the authority to manage fisheries of freshwater, anadromous and catadromous species.

The Species at Risk Act (SARA) is the Government of Canada’s primary legislative tool for the protection and recovery of endangered and threatened species and their habitats. SARA provides a legal framework for the identification, listing and management of species at risk and mandates the development of recovery strategies and action plans to prevent the extinction of species and promote their recovery. SARA is based on mutual cooperation between federal, provincial and territorial governments with a view to coordinating efforts to protect Canada’s wildlife and diverse ecosystems. The Act relies on the Government of Canada’s international commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Under SARA, DFO is responsible for aquatic species at risk and plays an important role in their recovery and conservation.

The Striped Bass was extirpated from the St. Lawrence River in the 1960s as a result of overfishing and habitat destruction. The Striped Bass was reintroduced into the river through a stocking program that began in 2002 using individuals from the Miramichi River (Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence population). Over the years, a population has become established in the St. Lawrence River, and stocking efforts were stopped in 2019. Since August 2011, the Government of Canada has ensured the protection of the St. Lawrence River Striped Bass population under SARA to support the species’ recovery and prevent its re-extirpation. Fishing and the destruction of critical habitat are prohibited, and this protection seems to be working. Currently, population status indicators for the St. Lawrence River Striped Bass population are encouraging, with abundance indices suggesting a general upward trend. Nevertheless, these indices still vary considerably between years, and it remains unknown whether the species has fully reintegrated into the ecosystem and whether it has the potential to support a recreational fishery.

Since 2016, DFO has been working with the Ministry of Environment, Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks of Quebec as part of a St. Lawrence Action Plan project. The project, which has been renewed until 2026, focuses on developing recovery targets for the St. Lawrence River Striped Bass population and assessing the impacts of recreational fishing on its recovery. Ultimately, the project will help determine whether the species has fully reintegrated into the ecosystem and whether it has the potential to support a recreational fishery.

DFO has invested nearly $1 million to support the implementation of projects that address the priorities identified in the Recovery Strategy and Action Plan for the Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis), St. Lawrence River Population, in Canada, including projects aimed at acquiring knowledge on the population status of Striped Bass and its habitat use, as well as the development of abundance indices and monitoring methods. Projects supported by DFO, and the data and knowledge generated by them, are critical to support the next assessment by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). 

The Endangered legal status of the St. Lawrence River Striped Bass population is based on a 2012 COSEWIC assessment of the reintroduced population. DFO recognizes that the status of this population needs to be reassessed and clarified. As prescribed by SARA, a change in legal status must be supported by a COSEWIC reassessment that is based on a new status report incorporating the most recent information available on Striped Bass in the St. Lawrence River. COSEWIC’s partial reassessment in 2019 only confirmed the extirpation of the historical population in the 1960s. DFO responded promptly, stating in 2020 that more information is needed on the striped bass population currently established in the St. Lawrence River. Consequently, under SARA, the government issued an Order in 2021 requesting that COSEWIC obtain more information on this population in order to make an informed decision based on updated evidence of the population’s situation and status.

COSEWIC is an independent advisory committee, and DFO does not have authority over the schedule of assessments. Reassessment of the St. Lawrence River Striped Bass population has been on the COSEWIC schedule since November 2022, but has been deferred several times. DFO eagerly anticipates the reassessment and will carry out its analysis diligently once the reassessment is received. Until the reassessment and status review process are completed, the current St. Lawrence River Striped Bass population will continue to be protected as an endangered species under SARA, and protective measures for the species and its habitat will continue to apply.