Question Period Note: AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES

• Our government understands the importance of protecting the biodiversity and quality of Canadian waters. As such, we are focused on coordinating our efforts to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species in Canada.
• Management of aquatic invasive species is a responsibility that the federal government shares with provincial and territorial governments. We continue to work closely with them and our U.S. counterparts to support prevention and response activities to protect our mutual resources.
• Operational programs, including Asian carp surveillance and Sea Lamprey control, are returning to field activities while maintaining the health and safety of public servants and the public and adhering to departmental and jurisdictional health and safety requirements.

Aquatic Invasive Species
• Aquatic invasive species (AIS) pose a serious threat to fish, fish habitat, use of aquatic resources (i.e., fisheries, aquaculture, and recreational industries), and species at risk across Canada.
• AIS of public concern across Canada include:
o Zebra and quagga mussels
o Asian carps (4 species)
o Sea Lamprey
o European Green Crab
o Invasive tunicates (e.g. Vase, Clubbed, and Violet)
• The Sea Lamprey Control Program was established in Canada through the department in 1954, following ratification of the Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries, as part of a binational commitment to control Sea Lamprey for the protection of Great Lakes fish and fisheries.
• The AIS Regulations came into force in 2015 under the Fisheries Act to provide tools for federal action and partnerships with provincial and territorial governments, setting significant expectations regarding Canada’s collective ability to manage AIS. The AIS Regulations list over 164 aquatic species as invasive, subject to prohibitions and/or controls.
• Budget 2017/18 provided $43.8 million in funding over 5 years and $10.6 million ongoing for national AIS management.
• DFO’s AIS National Core Program was established to implement the AIS Regulations in Canadian waters, to act on sound scientific and other advice, and to report nationally on AIS activities.
• Implementation of the AIS Regulations is a shared priority and responsibility across jurisdictions and levels of government. Some provinces and territories take the lead for freshwater AIS, while DFO leads for marine AIS.
• Provinces also dedicate significant amounts of resources to prevent and manage AIS. For example, Quebec invests $8 million a year and is investing an additional $8 million over 5 years to combat aquatic invasive plants. The Invasive Mussel Defense Program in British Columbia has an annual budget of nearly $4 million. Alberta also has a significant budget targeted at invasive mussels.
• The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development conducted an audit of DFO’s AIS efforts to date and released its findings on April 2nd, 2019.
• DFO accepted the recommendations of the Auditor and is implementing a management action plan to address them.
• The Auditor recommended that DFO work with the CBSA to address risks associated with watercraft and prohibited imports. The Auditor also recommended that DFO and the CBSA develop and implement the procedures, tools, and training that border services officers and fishery officers need to assist in enforcing the AIS Regulations. In response, DFO, CBSA, and other partners have developed new protocols, tools, and procedures to improve enforcement of the AIS Regulations at international borders. It is planned to test these tools in Fall 2020, or as soon as practicable pending Covid-19 travel restrictions, with a pilot project at Emmerson MB focused on preventing invasive mussels from entering Canada. A substantive pilot project is planned for Spring/Summer 2021.
Miramichi Lake and River
• Smallmouth Bass was discovered in Miramichi Lake in 2008, a headwater lake in the southwest Miramichi River watershed. This watershed, along with other river systems in New Brunswick, is recognized as some of the most productive Atlantic Salmon rivers in the world. Smallmouth Bass is a predator and competitor of other fish, including Atlantic Salmon.
• In August 2019, Smallmouth Bass was reported in the southwest Miramichi River, downstream from Miramichi Lake.
• DFO, as the regulator, is working with the province of New Brunswick to review an application submitted by the North Shore Micmac District Council for an authorization pursuant to subsection 19(3) of the AIS Regulations under the Fisheries Act to use Rotenone to eradicate Smallmouth Bass from Miramichi Lake.
• Due to the spread of Smallmouth Bass into the river, the proponent amended the initial application for Rotenone use to include part of the river.
• In evaluating the use of deleterious substances, the Department has to consider implications not only for native Atlantic Salmon, but also impacts on species at risk, other fish species, wildlife, and public safety.
• The Department will make a decision on the initial Rotenone application for Miramichi Lake following receipt and review of all project information from the proponent to ensure compliance with the Fisheries Act and its regulations, and the Species at Risk Act. The proposed project amendment to include 10-15 km of the southwest Miramichi River has modified this process and timelines. No timeline has been established as DFO continues to receive new details from the proponent.
• The Atlantic Salmon Federation advocates for chemical eradication, but according to a 2018 DFO technical report, the control and monitoring activities for Smallmouth Bass in Miramichi Lake have successfully kept the population of this invasive fish at levels close to depletion, thereby allowing for the viability of indigenous fish, such as Atlantic Salmon.
• In addition to the application for chemical control, the Department is collaborating with the provincial government, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, the Miramichi Salmon Association, and First Nations to capture and remove Smallmouth Bass from the river.
• Response activities that have taken place in the Miramichi River and certain tributaries in the summer-fall 2019 and 2020 include line fishing (angling), electrofishing (using backpacks or boats equipped with an electrofishing device), netting, collection of environmental DNA samples to determine the spread of the invasion, and collaborating with the University of New Brunswick to use radio-isotopes to determine the source of the Smallmouth Bass captured in the river.
• DFO continues to maintain barriers to prevent Smallmouth Bass from escaping Miramichi Lake and annually invests approximately $50K on different physical methods for capturing individuals of all ages and sizes in Miramichi Lake (e.g., electrofishing, trapping, netting, and seining).
• The Department is also developing a long-term plan for the management of this AIS in the Miramichi River watershed using an integrated management approach based on prevention, detection, response, and control, as well as sustained collaboration with partners.
European Green Crab
• European Green Crab (EGC) are known invasive species on both coasts of Canada, with the potential to result in significant impacts to important habitat, such as eelgrass, and fisheries.
• On July 4, 2020, EGC were found in the Skidegate Inlet of Haida Gwaii (British Columbia).
• This is the first confirmed discovery of EGC in Haida Gwaii. A dead adult male EGC and a moult (also male) were found.
• A working group was formed with DFO, Parks Canada, Council of Haida Nation, and the Province of BC (Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations) to assess the extent of invasion and to determine if there is evidence of establishment in Haida Gwaii.
• The Council of the Haida Nation currently has a ban on travel to Haida Gwaii for non-essential visitors; therefore, DFO has supported the response remotely by providing advice, equipment, training and issuing capture permits
• DFO also hired a local contractor in August 2020 to lead the field program for a month on its behalf. As of September 18, 2020, 42 sites that were selected by DFO were sampled with a total of 27 EGC captured.
• Trapping will continue into November 2020, with DFO continuing to provide support and advice remotely. The extent of the invasion will be determined.
• DFO resumed its EGC field program in the Salish Sea in June 2020, and it is ongoing. Training and monitoring have been conducted in the Salish Sea with partners (i.e., stewardship and Indigenous groups) where Indigenous groups have not closed their communities to visitors. A few individuals of EGC were detected in Blackie Spit and Centennial Beach on September 18, 2020, but none found thereafter.
Invasive Smallmouth Bass in Piper Lake
• The Province of Nova Scotia applied to deposit Noxfish Fish Toxicant (Rotenone) in Piper Lake, Pictou County, Nova Scotia in an effort to eradicate the recently discovered and illegally introduced invasive Smallmouth Bass.
• DFO authorized the project on September 17, 2020, under s.19(3) of the Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations.
• The Province of Nova Scotia applied Rotenone on October 15, 2020. The province is actively monitoring the situation to ensure the continued success of the project. DFO is continuing to collaborate with the province.

Invasive Smallmouth Bass in the Miramichi System
• DFO recognizes the seriousness of the threat that the Smallmouth Bass represents since it is considered invasive in the Miramichi River watershed.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada is currently reviewing a request submitted by non-governmental organizations to authorize the use of pesticide to eradicate Smallmouth Bass in Miramichi Lake and part of the River. The Department is conducting consultations with Indigenous communities and also working with other federal and provincial government partners to evaluate this request, including participation in the Province of New Brunswick’s environmental impact assessment.
• In the meantime, DFO and its partners will continue ongoing containment, control and monitoring activities for Smallmouth Bass in the Miramichi watershed.
Invasive Smallmouth Bass in Piper Lake
• DFO recognizes the seriousness of the threat that invasive Smallmouth Bass represents to the ecosystem in Piper Lake and the St. Mary’s River watershed. Smallmouth Bass notably threatens Atlantic Salmon, a species that is already under significant pressure.
• In October 2020, the Province of Nova Scotia deposited Noxfish Fish Toxicant (Rotenone) in Piper Lake, in an effort to eradicate the Smallmouth Bass.
• DFO authorized the project, because it will ensure the highest chance of success in eradication, the lowest risk of escapees, and a relatively low localized impact compared to the potential impact of unmitigated spread of Smallmouth bass through the watershed.
Asian Carps
• In 2017, our government invested $16 million over five years and $4 million ongoing in the Asian Carp Program to ensure Canada’s Great Lakes are protected from the harmful impacts of Asian carps.
• Our government takes a comprehensive preventative approach to addressing the threat of these species.
• To date, Asian carps have not established in the Canadian waters of the Great Lakes thanks to structured, organized response efforts.
Sea Lamprey
• The Sea Lamprey Control Program is administered by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to protect native fish species and fisheries in the Great Lakes.
• In accordance with a bi-national agreement, Canada contributes over $10.6 million annually to the control and management of Sea Lamprey in the Great Lakes.
• Sea Lamprey are at or close to target population levels in all Great Lakes because of our long-term commitment to the program.
Zebra and Quagga Mussels
• Zebra and Quagga mussels can have significant economic impacts on recreational boaters, municipal and industrial water supplies, and power generation infrastructure.
• Zebra Mussels are established in the Lake Winnipeg watershed, which is the current western invasion front in Canada. DFO is collaborating with provincial governments in the Prairies to develop a framework for response plans.
• DFO is working closely with the Canada Border Services Agency to improve enforcement of the Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations at international borders, with a focus on preventing prohibited species from entering Canada, including invasive mussels.
European Green Crab
• European Green Crab can have significant impacts on estuarine and marine ecosystems and can harm fishing and aquaculture industries by consuming shellfish or competing with indigenous species such as clams, snails, crabs and lobsters.
• European Green Crab is found on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Canada. DFO is collaborating with partners including First Nations, provincial governments, stakeholders and U.S. state and federal governments to address the threats that this species poses to Canadian ecosystems and fisheries.
• Upon the discovery of European Green Crab in Boundary Bay and Haida Gwaii (British Columbia) in the last year, DFO has partnered with Indigenous and stewardship groups and others to determine the extent of the invasion, to seek evidence of establishment, and develop a mitigation plan.