Priority – protecting habitat and species

Annex 7: aquatic invasive species

The purpose of this annex is to ensure cooperative and coordinated efforts to reduce the threat of aquatic invasive species to Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem health.

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are a significant environmental and economic threat to Great Lakes ecosystems and biodiversity. AIS have severely damaged the Great Lakes by outcompeting native species, altering food webs and degrading critical habitats for fish and wildlife populations. They can also degrade water quality by increasing suspended solids, concentrating toxins, encouraging the growth of harmful algae blooms, and altering nutrient and energy flows within the food web. AIS threaten the Great Lakes economy by affecting important industries such as tourism, recreational and commercial fisheries, and disrupting water supply for municipal drinking water, power plants and industry.

Significant progress has been made to prevent the introduction and spread of harmful AIS to the Great Lakes basin by the parties and complementary efforts in the United States. For example, new provincial and federal regulations are in place prohibiting possession of several high-risk AIS including Asian carps. Coordinated enforcement efforts by the province and several federal agencies have resulted in several successful interceptions and prosecutions under these regulations. In addition, federal regulations and international standards to address ballast water have helped to prevent introductions from this pathway. These successes emphasize the importance of the parties’ coordinated and strategic efforts to address this complex issue.

Building upon this success, this annex includes the following results and commitments to: identify the risk of potential new AIS and pathways for introduction; ensure implementation of regulations to prevent or reduce the spread of AIS; support coordinated early detection and response to new invasions; improve the suite of tools available for detection, control and management of established AIS; and strengthen outreach effort to engage the broader Great Lakes community. These activities are supported by continued commitments to improve understanding of the impacts of AIS on the Great Lakes ecosystem, and the effects of climate change to inform decision making on management strategies. Actions to prevent the introduction and spread of AIS through the ballast water discharge of ships are also addressed in the discharges from vessels annex of this agreement.

AIS do not respect borders and successful prevention and control requires cooperation among all jurisdictions in Canada and the United States. The parties will also provide leadership by working with all jurisdictions across the Great Lakes basin to ensure consistent rules and standards are in place that can be practically applied by industry and the public. They will continue to coordinate the implementation of the Canadian Action Plan to Address the Threat of Aquatic Invasive Species and the Ontario Invasive Species Strategic Plan. Ontario will continue to support commitments made by the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Governors and Premiers to work together to address AIS threats to our shared waters. Canada will continue its work with the United States to control sea lamprey through the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Through the efforts described in this annex, both Ontario and Canada will work together to meet the objectives and commitments of the Aquatic Invasive Species Annex of the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

Result 1

Ballast water requirements protect the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem from the discharge of AIS by ships.

Canada will:

1. Taking into account guidelines and standards of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship’s Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004, continue to implement ballast water regulations in Canada, and meet commitments under Annex 5 of the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

Result 2

Coordinated risk assessments of potential new AIS and AIS pathways to inform prevention, monitoring, and control measures.

Canada and Ontario will:

1. Jointly establish priorities for ecological risk assessments for potential new AIS and pathways to best support prevention of AIS including regulatory actions. For species and pathways identified as high priority, undertake risk assessments considering ecological and socio-economic impacts. Where appropriate risk assessments will be coordinated with management agencies from other jurisdictions within Canada and the United States; and
2. Continue to develop and implement science-based tools and methodologies to support ecological and socio-economic risk assessments for AIS and associated pathways.

Result 3

Regulations, policy, and management strategies are in place to prevent new and potential AIS, and to reduce the risk of their spread.

Canada and Ontario will:

1. Assess and, where necessary, take steps to advise on prospective amendments, that may be considered by their respective Legislatures, to applicable federal and/or provincial legislation, regulations and policies to address gaps, if any, in preventing the introduction and establishment of new AIS and ensure clear accountability of agencies;
2. Clarify jurisdictional roles and responsibilities related to various taxa to ensure clear accountability of agencies; and
3. Continue joint enforcement efforts of existing regulations to prevent the introduction of AIS, such as Asian carp, to the Great Lakes basin across borders and through trade and other pathways.

Result 4

Effective control of sea lamprey resulting in suppression of their populations to target levels that support fish community objectives in all Great Lakes.

Canada will:

1. Implement the sea lamprey control program in cooperation with the United States as coordinated through the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to reduce sea lamprey abundance to target levels that support fish community objectives in all Great Lakes;
2. In collaboration with United States agencies carry out, facilitate, or contribute to research about sea lamprey control methods and population assessments to optimize decisions that target control efforts, development of alternatives to lampricides, select control methods, and evaluate program effectiveness to deliver effective, integrated management of sea lamprey; and
3. Work with all involved jurisdictions to ensure that sea lamprey spread and control is considered in dam removal, remediation, or fishway projects. Planning for any new barriers specifically for sea lamprey control will include considerations for aquatic habitat connectivity and biodiversity.

Result 5

Prevention of AIS movement and spread in tributaries and through connected waterways.

Canada and Ontario will:

1. Work collaboratively when planning construction of new, maintenance of existing, and removal of dams and barriers with respect to AIS movement, spread, and/or connectivity issues;
2. Improve understanding of the potential for AIS movement in watersheds, through canals, and intra-basin connections; and
3. With United States agencies, advance research and development of fishways that block sea lamprey and/or other AIS but allow movement of non-invasive fish and other organisms.

Result 6

Appropriate consideration of the potential to spread AIS during any transfer or use of water.

Canada and Ontario will:

1. Consider and mitigate the risk of spreading AIS when evaluating any transfer or use of water.

Result 7

Early detection and response initiatives are developed and implemented for Canadian waters, complementary to United States domestic planning creating a basin-wide response framework.

Canada and Ontario will:

1. Refine and maintain a coordinated federal/provincial early detection and response framework for Canadian waters for Asian carps that is guided by risk assessments, and includes detection programs, reporting protocols and coordinated agency responses;
2. Develop coordinated federal/provincial early detection and rapid response frameworks in Canadian waters for AIS, including the development of watch lists, reporting and surveillance protocols, and response strategies; and
3. Work with United States federal and state agencies through key mechanisms, such as the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Governors and Premiers AIS Task Force, the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Annex 6 Committee, and the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, to develop and advance mutual aid agreements supporting basin-wide, cross-border surveillance and response actions for AIS.

Result 8

Improved tools to detect, respond to and control AIS.

Canada and Ontario will:

1. Promote research and development of innovative techniques, aimed at detecting and monitoring AIS in the Great Lakes and in pathways including trade, commerce, and recreation;
2. Promote research and development of control tools to better respond to and manage AIS; and
3. Explore opportunities with other provinces and the federal government to expand availability of control methods for invasive species in aquatic habitats.

Result 9

Improved understanding of the ecosystem impacts of AIS and implementation of risk based management or adaptation measures.

Canada and Ontario will:

1. Conduct research to assess the risks and support the prioritization of potential new and established AIS to Great Lakes Basin Ecosystems;
2. Monitor and report on the occurrence and status of priority new and established AIS and their impacts on Great Lakes ecosystems; and
3. Where priority AIS are established and eradication is not feasible, implement management strategies based on risk, and undertake control and adaptation measures as appropriate.

Result 10

Improved understanding of the impact of climate change on AIS in the Great Lakes.

Canada and Ontario will:

1. Continue to advance research to identify potential changes in species distributions and risks of new AIS due to the effects of climate change in the Great Lakes basin and incorporate findings in risk analyses of new AIS and pathways.

Result 11

Increased awareness and actions by the Great Lakes community to prevent the introduction and spread of AIS.

Canada and Ontario will:

1. Advance joint communications and outreach priorities to engage the Great Lakes community in preventing the introduction and spread of AIS;
2. Encourage citizen science to support early detection and tracking of AIS; and
3. Collaborate with key partners to expand communication networks and strengthen the collective impact of outreach ventures.

Annex 8: habitat and species

The purpose of this annex is to continue efforts to restore, protect and conserve the resilience of Great Lakes native species and their habitats.

The Great Lakes support a rich diversity of fish, wildlife and plant species. Thriving habitats and native fish and wildlife communities contribute to the social and economic vitality of the Great Lakes region. Unfortunately, many human activities put pressures on the ecosystem that result in the loss or degradation of habitats, fragmentation of natural systems, threats and impacts from aquatic invasive species (AIS), and reductions in the health and abundance of native species.

This annex focuses on collaborative efforts to restore, protect and conserve the diversity of habitats and species that make up the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem while providing sustainable social, ecological and economic benefits.

Canada and Ontario support strategic conservation planning initiatives such as natural heritage system planning, and the National Framework for Canada’s Network of Marine Protected Areas, including the National Marine Conservation Area System Plan. Collaboration through the Great Lakes Fishery Commission facilitates international shared management of fisheries through mechanisms under the Joint Strategic Plan for Management of Great Lakes Fisheries. Canada and Ontario also cooperate on activities to ensure the effective protection and recovery of species at risk and their habitats in Ontario.

The collaborative efforts in this annex are supported by other annexes of this agreement. Lakewide Management and Action Plans contain actions that restore, protect and conserve native biodiversity. Annex 8 will deliver on the habitat and species components of the binational Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI) as defined in the lakewide management annex. The assessment of nearshore waters in the lakewide management annex focusses on cumulative impacts to the ecosystem that affect habitat and species. Actions to restore degraded fish and wildlife habitat and populations are included in remedial action plans in the areas of concern annex. AIS represent a continued threat to native species and ecosystems. Actions to address AIS are found in the aquatic invasive species annex and complement management actions to protect and restore habitats undertaken in this annex. Climate change is resulting in changes to physical conditions in the Great Lakes, such as temperature, precipitation, ice coverage and water levels, which in turn affect habitats and species. Research and adaptation actions are included in the climate change impacts and resilience annex. Actions to assess and enhance resilience to climate change impacts are included in the habitat and species annex as it pertains to habitat and species.

The parties will continue to support research and monitoring programs that investigate the threats to aquatic habitats and species, identify methods for threat mitigation, and prioritize opportunities for restoration. The parties will continue to use existing reporting mechanisms (e.g., Lakewide Action and Management Plans) and other means to report progress on the commitments in the habitat and species annex.

Result 1

High quality habitats in need of protection, priority areas for restoration and habitat creation, and the most significant stressors to native species and habitats are identified.

Canada and Ontario will:

1. Continue to undertake a baseline habitat survey to guide sustainable conservation actions and measure progress towards a goal of net habitat gain considering extent, condition, current protections and key threats and stressors for each Great Lake; and
2. Determine priority habitat in need of protection and restoration to maintain and enhance populations of native species, including species at risk, and improve the resilience of natural systems and processes while considering the broader Great Lakes ecosystem.

Result 2

An improved understanding of climate-related vulnerabilities and resilience of Great Lakes coastal wetlands.

Canada will lead and Ontario will support:

1. Complete a science-based assessment of coastal wetland vulnerability to climate-related impacts; and
2. Identify adaptive measures and develop guidance to enhance wetland resilience.

Result 3

Great Lakes habitat and native species are protected, enhanced and/or restored to maintain ecosystem health.

Canada and Ontario will:

1. Implement binational collaborative actions, guided by fish community objectives, to support management that reduces the loss of, and makes progress on rehabilitation of, native species such as:
   1. Lake Superior: coaster brook trout, lake sturgeon and walleye;
   2. Lake Huron: lake sturgeon, lake trout and walleye;
   3. Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair: lake sturgeon and lake trout;
   4. Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River: lake trout, Atlantic salmon, American eel, lake sturgeon; and
   5. Other key species to be identified.
2. Collaborate with the Great Lakes community to conserve and restore priority habitat through stewardship actions, beneficial management practices, tax incentives or other programs (e.g., Canada Nature Fund, Ecological Gifts Program) or actions consistent with government plans and strategies;
3. Conserve and protect Great Lakes fish and fish habitat through existing and potential future federal and provincial legislation and policy to contribute to aquatic ecosystem health, the supply of wholesome fish for human consumption and to provide and enhance fishing opportunities;
4. Support priority actions to restore and/or improve connectivity to Great Lakes tributaries for migratory fish to ensure continued progress of native species conservation;
5. Implement actions to restore, protect and conserve habitats for Great Lakes waterfowl, waterbirds and shorebirds through the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture and the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, consistent with domestic and international management strategies;
6. Promote the use of habitats as natural infrastructure recognizing their role in protecting people and property from natural and human influenced hazards as well as mitigating the impacts of climate change;
7. Strengthen the long-term protection of biodiversity and restoration of ecosystems through a network of aquatic and terrestrial protected areas;
8. Undertake and support research, monitoring and reporting on the status, use and value of Great Lakes natural resources focusing on native fish, aquatic dependent wildlife, aquatic food webs and habitats; and
9. Undertake and support studies that investigate the functions and ecosystem services of wetlands including hydrology, water quality and quantity, phosphorus reduction capabilities, carbon sequestration, and fish and wildlife habitat.

Canada will:

10. Implement a fish and fish habitat protection program that provides protection against harming fish and fish habitat consistent with fisheries management objectives and Great Lakes planning.

Result 4

An informed and engaged Great Lakes community involved in the restoration, protection and conservation of the resilience of native species and habitats and their sustainable use.

Canada and Ontario will:

1. Promote stewardship activities by the Great Lakes community through technical transfer opportunities such as workshops, extension materials or training and through national and provincial initiatives;
2. Share with the Great Lakes community information on the baseline habitat survey and the significance to native species and their conservation; and
3. Build consensus and promote implementation of actions with the Great Lakes community on priorities and strategies for enhancing coastal wetlands resilience.