AWA Wilderness & Wildlife Defenders: Please Fill Out Bull Trout Survey
July 14, 2015
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It is summer time and I’m sure everyone is out enjoying the beautiful Alberta outdoors; hiking or fishing alongside cold mountain streams, prairie creeks and shimmering lakes.
Please take 10 minutes out of your day to fill out this survey on the listing of Bull Trout (Saskatchewan-Nelson rivers populations) under the Species at Risk Act. Together we can encourage one more step toward protecting our native fish species and consequently Alberta’s overall watershed health.
The survey is open until midnight on Wednesday, July 15, 2015. Comments will be taken into consideration when making a listing decision.
Thanks for your help!
– Brittany Verbeek, AWA Conservation Specialist
Take Action
The Saskatchewan-Nelson rivers bull trout populations are being considered to be added to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk under the Species at Risk Act. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada is looking for comments regarding the possible ecological, cultural and economic impacts of listing this population. They are asking people/organizations to fill out a brief survey as a way to provide comments. Click here for the survey.
Background
Bull trout are a native Alberta fish species that are very sensitive to stream habitat degradation (ie. sedimentation and changes in stream temperature and substrate) and have very specific spawning requirements. In general, there appears to be a strong trend that increased human access negatively impacts bull trout.
The following are some reasons it’s important that bull trout be added to the Species at Risk registry:
- Bull trout have an intrinsic value to exist and persist
- Bull trout are good indicators of watershed health
- Healthy populations provide excellent fishing opportunities
- Bull trout contribute to the overall biodiversity that is crucial to ecosystem services humans benefit from
Alberta’s provincial government is not doing enough to protect bull trout habitat so we need federal legislation to enforce restrictions on activities that will negatively impact the Saskatchewan-Nelson rivers populations.
As our provincial fish and for the reasons outlined on the right, it is very important that bull trout are listed and that legal habitat protection, a recovery strategy and action plan are swiftly developed and implemented.
For more information on bull trout description, habitat, and threats please click here.
Click here for an excellent article written about threats to Alberta’s trout streams and why native trout need our help!
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