Pugnose Shiner

Species information

The following is a report on progress made towards the protection and recovery of Pugnose Shiner (Notropis anogenus) in Ontario, from 2007 to 2018, based on species-specific policy. This report meets the legislative requirement for a review of progress under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA or “the Act”). Pugnose Shiner is listed as threatened on the Species at Risk in Ontario (SARO) List under the ESA.

Pugnose Shiner has been classified as a species at risk since 2000. It was originally classified as threatened, in 2000, and then endangered in 2004, and retained its ‘endangered’ status under the ESA, when it came into force in 2008. Based on a 2014 re-assessment by the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO), Pugnose Shiner was down-listed to threatened in 2014.

The species-specific policy for Pugnose Shiner, known as the Government Response Statement (GRS), was published in 2014, and includes the government’s recovery goal for the species, and the actions and priorities it leads or supports to help achieve that goal. The GRS considers science advice provided in the recovery strategy when developing recovery actions for the species. As legislated in the Act, the purpose of the Review is to report on the progress made towards implementing the protection and recovery actions in the GRS. The Review can also help identify opportunities to adjust and adapt the implementation of protection and recovery actions to achieve the recovery goal for the species.

Further information about Pugnose Shiner, including the threats that it faces, and actions being taken to help protect and recover this species, is available on the Government of Ontario webpage for Pugnose Shiner. A summary of progress made towards the protection and recovery of Pugnose Shiner, and an annual update on the species at risk program, are available on the Review of Progress towards the Protection and Recovery of Ontario’s Species at Risk webpage.

Snapshot

Progress towards the protection and recovery of Pugnose Shiner

• The recovery goal in the Government Response Statement (GRS) for Pugnose Shiner in Ontario is to maintain self-sustaining populations at existing locations, and promote natural expansion and increases in populations.
• Progress has been made towards implementing all government-led actions. Progress has also been made towards achieving all government-supported recovery objectives, and implementing all associated actions. Examples of progress include:
  • Conducting inventory and monitoring at known and historical locations to improve understanding of the status of populations and habitat requirements
  • Supporting partners to undertake activities to protect and recover the Pugnose Shiner and its habitat
  • Increasing awareness about Pugnose Shiner and its habitat through education and outreach
• In alignment with the GRS, further action is needed to determine the tolerance of Pugnose Shiner to various water quality parameters (for example, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, nutrients) and compare against existing standards to support the species’ recovery.

Occurrence and distribution

• Eighteen populations^{footnote 1[1]} of Pugnose Shiner have been documented in southern Ontario, of which fifteen of are extant, and three are considered historical^{footnote 2[2]}. Nine populations of Pugnose Shiner have been newly identified since 2008.

Government-supported stewardship projects

• Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, the Government of Ontario has enabled its stewardship partners to conduct 43 projects ($1,863,403) that have supported the protection and recovery of multiple species at risk, including Pugnose Shiner.
• The government’s support helped its stewardship partners to involve 1,771 individuals who volunteered 13,813 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities for species at risk, including Pugnose Shiner. The estimated value of these voluntary contributions, as well as additional funding and in-kind support, is $2,869,014.
• Stewardship partners reported that through their actions 417 hectares of habitat were enhanced for Pugnose Shiner and other species at risk that inhabit the same ecosystem.
• Stewardship partners reported providing outreach on multiple species at risk, including Pugnose Shiner, to 450,019 individuals.
• Through the Species at Risk Research Fund for Ontario, the Government of Ontario supported two research partners to assist in the development of a monitoring protocol for wetland species at risk and to conduct an environmental DNA (eDNA) study to detect the presence of multiple species at risk, including Pugnose Shiner.

Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery

• The Government of Ontario has issued 18 permits for this species, of which were ‘protection or recovery’ permits issued under clause 17(2)(b) of the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA).
• Eight drainage agreements were entered into for Pugnose Shiner, as enabled through Ontario Regulation 242/08 (prior to the July 1, 2013 amendment).
• Twenty-four activities have been registered for the species under the ‘Aquatic species’ (section 23.4), ‘Drainage works’ (section 23.9), ‘Ecosystem protection’ (section 23.11), ‘Species protection, recovery activities’ (section 23.17), and ‘Threats to health and safety, not imminent’ (section 23.18) sections of Ontario Regulation 242/08, under the ESA.

Reporting on progress towards the protection and recovery of Pugnose Shiner

The implementation of government-led and government-supported actions demonstrates progress towards reaching the desired objectives and recovery goal set out in the GRS.

Progress towards implementing government-led actions

Progress has been made towards implementing all government-led actions in the GRS for Pugnose Shiner. Common actions for the government to lead as it works toward achieving a species’ recovery goal include:

• Educate other agencies and authorities involved in planning and environmental assessment processes on the protection requirements under the ESA.
• Encourage the submission of Pugnose Shiner data to the government’s central repository at the Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC).
• Undertake communications and outreach to increase public awareness of species at risk in Ontario.
• Protect the Pugnose Shiner and its habitat through the ESA.
• Support conservation, agency, municipal and industry partners, and Indigenous communities and organizations to undertake activities to protect and recover the Pugnose Shiner. Support will be provided where appropriate through funding, agreements, permits (including conditions) and/or advisory services.
• Encourage collaboration, and establish and communicate annual priority actions for government support in order to reduce duplication of efforts.

Additionally, the government has directly undertaken the following species-specific actions:

• Develop a Pugnose Shiner population and distribution monitoring protocol.
• Investigate the effectiveness of coastal wetland habitat restoration activities to recover Pugnose Shiner populations.
• Continue to implement the Ontario Invasive Species Strategic Plan to address the invasive species (for example, Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)) that threaten Pugnose Shiner.

Of particular interest is the work carried out by government research staff in partnership with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the University of Toronto to develop a monitoring protocol that will be applicable to Pugnose Shiner and four additional fishes at risk. Efforts directed towards this goal have included the collection of fish using an assortment of methods, preliminary interpretation and modelling of collected data, and the completion of a published research paper. Work is currently ongoing to develop a complete protocol that can be used for future assessments of Pugnose Shiner abundance and trends in Ontario.

Work has also been completed to investigate the effectiveness of coastal wetland habitat restoration activities to support the recovery Pugnose Shiner. Research undertaken from 2012 to 2018 by government research staff in collaboration with DFO and the University of Toronto monitored the use of open-water habitat created in Long Point Crown Marsh by Pugnose Shiner and other wetland fishes at risk. Additional research on seasonal patterns of open-water habitat use has also been carried out, and the data collected will further support progress towards implementing this government-led action.

Key progress made towards implementing other government-led actions is described in the following sections.

Occurrence and distribution

Eighteen populations^{footnote 1[1]} of Pugnose Shiner have been documented in Ontario, of which fifteen are considered extant (i.e., observed within the past 20 years), and three are considered historical^{footnote 2[2]}. An observation was also reported in Stocking Hill Creek, a tributary of the Gananoque River in 2011, but no specimen or documentation was preserved, and the species is otherwise unknown from this site. Additional survey effort is required to verify the species’ presence at this site as the species if found in the Gananoque River system (for example, Rotary Beach). The extant populations are located in the Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario watersheds as well as the St. Lawrence River.

Since 2008, the government’s central repository at the Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) has received 449 records of the species. These records are based on observations between 1935 and 2017 and come from a variety of sources. Records submitted have helped to refine where the species is known and has been known to occur and have provided additional information on the species’ habitat and threats.

Targeted and non-targeted survey efforts at new and existing sites since 2008 have re-confirmed seven populations that were observed before 2008 and identified nine new populations at sites in Lake Huron (Mouth Lake), Lake St. Clair (Belle River), Lake Ontario (Trent River, Wellers Bay, East Lake, Waupoos Bay), Detroit River (near Peche Island) and the St. Lawrence River. The newly identified populations may be the result of increased search effort and education about Pugnose Shiner and may not represent actual population increases, but rather increased knowledge about the distribution of the species. Despite several survey attempts, the species has not been observed at the three historical sites in the Lake Erie basin (Point Pelee National Park and Rondeau Bay) and the mouth of the Canard River, a tributary of the Detroit River since 1941, 1963 and 1994, respectively and may be extirpated at the Point Pelee National Park and Rondeau Bay sites.

The viability^{footnote 3[3]} of populations from Long Point Bay and St. Lawrence River from Eastview to Mallorytown Landing are considered excellent and excellent or good, respectively. The Lake St. Clair delta area population has fair to excellent viability, while the Old Ausable Channel and West Lake in Lake Ontario have fair viability. The viability of the remaining ten extant populations have not yet been assessed.

It is possible that there are observations of Pugnose Shiner that have not been submitted to the government. Encouraging the submission of observations of this species is included in the GRS as a government-led action. Submission of species observations increases our knowledge of where they occur and can play an important role in assessing the viability of species populations.

Everyone is encouraged, or may be required by an authorization or approval to submit observations of Pugnose Shiner, and any other species at risk observed, to the NHIC for incorporation into the provincial record of observations. Observations may now be submitted to NHIC via the Rare Species of Ontario project in iNaturalist.

• 449
  observations of this species were submitted to the NHIC since 2008

Government-supported stewardship projects

An important government-led action in the GRS for Pugnose Shiner is to support partners to undertake activities to protect and recover the species. Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program the government has supported 43 projects ($1,863,403) designed to contribute to the protection and recovery of multiple species at risk, including Pugnose Shiner^{footnote 4[4]}. In addition to government funding, partners reported they were successful in securing additional funding ($2,869,014) from other sources, which includes in-kind support in the form of time and expertise provided by volunteers.

Stewardship partners reported that provincial funding helped them to secure in-kind support by involving 1,771 individuals who volunteered 13,813 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities for multiple species at risk, including Pugnose Shiner, which has an estimated value of $509,482. Partners also reported that, through both their efforts and the efforts of their volunteers to implement GRS actions, they were successful in enhancing 417 hectares of habitat that will benefit multiple species at risk, including Pugnose Shiner. In addition, stewardship partners reported ecosystem-based outreach on multiple species, including Pugnose Shiner, to 450,019 individuals.

The government also supports proponents in conducting research that addresses important knowledge gaps for species at risk. Through the Species at Risk Research Fund for Ontario, funding was provided to partners to conduct research to support the development of a monitoring protocol for wetland species at risk and to conduct an eDNA study to characterize the genetic variation of species at risk, including Pugnose Shiner.

The remainder of this section highlights two multi-year projects supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program.

From 2016 to 2018, the St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences undertook a multi-year project to address key knowledge gaps regarding the abundance, distribution, and habitat preferences of Pugnose Shiner in the upper St. Lawrence River. Working with the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, surveys were undertaken at recently discovered sites and at new locations with suitable habitat in the St. Lawrence River. A total of 534 Pugnose Shiner were captured at 21 sites between 2016 to 2018. Overall, sixteen of these sites represented new documented locations for the species since 2016, including Rotary Beach in Gananoque, where Pugnose Shiner had not been documented since 1935. Habitat variables and fish community composition were also recorded at each site to determine fish and habitat associations as well as seasonal trends in Pugnose Shiner populations. Numerous outreach and education activities were carried out to raise awareness of the status and threats to Pugnose Shiner populations in the upper St. Lawrence River including public presentations and fish displays at workshops, conferences and events. Results of this study were also shared through scientific publications, community outreach and education programs, and social media. This project supports the GRS objectives to increase knowledge about the species’ population trends, habitat conditions, and threats and increase awareness about Pugnose Shiner through education and outreach.

In 2009 and 2010, the Long Point Region Conservation Authority implemented a multi-year project entitled “Ecosystem Restoration on a Watershed Basis in the Long Point Region.” This project targeted multiple species at risk, including Pugnose Shiner, and had multiple objectives such as:

• Improving water quality in the project area;
• Connecting and recreating habitat along watercourses on watersheds that influence the Big Creek, Turkey Point and Long Point marshes; and,
• Obtaining certain target species population data to establish a baseline data set, and determining the impact of past restoration activities on population numbers.

Key project activities included habitat restoration, habitat creation, construction of sediment basin wetlands, and adjacent upland restoration. The project resulted in the creation of seven headwater wetlands to act as sediment basins and create aquatic wetland habitat. Additionally, four floodplain wetlands/oxbow scars were created to connect habitat along watercourses, and eleven buffer planting or enhancement projects were undertaken. Monitoring in 2010 confirmed the use of the newly created open water habitat by Pugnose Shiner and other species at risk. This project implements the GRS action to continue riparian and shoreline rehabilitation on a watershed basis at highly degraded sites. Managing sediment at a watershed scale and increasing connectivity of wetland habitat are key factors that may support natural expansion of existing populations.

Species at Risk Stewardship Program

• 
  43

  projects included Pugnose Shiner

• 
  $1,863,403

  for multi-species projects that included Pugnose Shiner

• 
  $2,869,014

  in additional funding and in-kind support

• 
  1,771

  volunteers

• 
  13,813

  volunteer hours

• 
  450,019

  people received outreach

• 
  417

  hectares of habitat enhanced

Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery

Supporting partners through permits and their associated conditions is an important government-led action.

Eighteen permits have been issued for Pugnose Shiner since the species has been protected under the ESA, all of which were ‘protection or recovery’ (17(2)(b)) permits. ‘Protection or recovery’ permits are issued if the purpose of the activity is to assist in the protection or recovery of a species at risk. Of the 18 permits, 3 were issued exclusively for Pugnose Shiner and 15 were issued for multiple species, including Pugnose Shiner. Permits were generally issued for inventory and monitoring of species at risk and their habitat, including Pugnose Shiner. Permits were also issued for habitat restoration and scientific research, including investigating the success of shoreline stabilization in restoring fish habitat and examining the genetic diversity of Pugnose Shiner populations.

Eight drainage agreements were entered into for Pugnose Shiner, as enabled through Ontario Regulation 242/08 (prior to the July 1, 2013 amendment). Conditions of the agreements involve implementing actions in the mitigation plan, including, but not limited to:

• Undertaking appropriate mitigation measures for sediment and erosion control and bank stabilization;
• Mapping sensitive areas for the species before undertaking any work; and,
• Contacting the government to seek further direction where a proposed activity will occur in a sensitive area for a fish species.

Twenty-four activities that may affect Pugnose Shiner or its habitat have been registered under various sections of Ontario Regulation 242/08 under the ESA - one under ‘Aquatic species’ (section 23.4), nine under ‘Drainage works’ (section 23.9), three under ‘Ecosystem protection’ (section 23.11), four under ‘Species protection, recovery activities’ (section 23.17), and seven under ‘Threats to health and safety, not imminent’ (section 23.18). These registrations require the registrant to comply with all conditions of the Regulation, such as: ensuring that reasonable steps are taken to minimize adverse effects of the activity on the species identified in the notice of activity form; preparing a mitigation plan using best available information on steps that may help minimize or avoid adverse effects on the species; and, reporting observations of the species using the Ontario Species at Risk Observation Reporting Form and submitting it to the NHIC.

• 18
  protection or recovery permit
• 8
  agreements
• 24
  registrations

Progress towards implementing government-supported actions

Government-supported actions are organized under overarching recovery objectives. Progress has been made towards achieving all government-supported recovery objectives, and implementing all associated actions that are identified in the GRS for Pugnose Shiner.

Under this objective, considerable progress has been made towards implementing Action No. 1, while initial progress has been made towards Action No. 2. These actions have been implemented through projects supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, conditions of ESA authorizations and through research undertaken by the government in partnership with the University of Toronto. A large-scale survey of coastal wetlands across Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie was undertaken to characterize the distribution of wetland fishes at risk, including Pugnose Shiner, and to assess the overall status of wetland fish communities. Targeted surveys for Pugnose Shiner have been conducted at known and historical locations and at additional sites with habitat conditions that appeared suitable for the species. This includes but is not limited to sites within the Old Ausable Channel, Lake St. Clair and its tributaries, Long Point Bay, St. Lawrence River and Gananoque River watershed. Habitat conditions and water quality data have also been collected at sampling sites for Pugnose Shiner, and predictive models have been developed to identify areas with suitable habitat in unsampled areas, including in the Lake St. Clair and Rideau Valley watersheds. These inventory and monitoring activities have identified new occurrences, confirmed extant populations and provided valuable information on the distribution, abundance, and habitat use of the Pugnose Shiner and other species at risk.

Under this objective, considerable progress has been made towards implementing all actions through projects supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Program, conditions of ESA authorizations, and research carried out by the government in collaboration with DFO and the University of Toronto. Multiple outreach and stewardship projects were implemented by conservation authorities and other agencies to work directly with landowners in rural areas and encourage the use of BMPs for drain work and other agricultural activities. Habitat has also been created, restored and enhanced in areas with Pugnose Shiner including creating wetlands, planting trees, shrubs and vegetation, and restoring riparian buffers to reduce erosion and sedimentation and improve water quality. In addition, government research staff have carried out two projects focused on assessing the impacts of drain maintenance in Pugnose Shiner habitat with evaluation of potential mitigation measures.

Under this objective, progress has been made towards implementing Action No. 5, through outreach and education campaigns supported by the Species at Risk Stewardship Program. Presentations, seminars, workshops, education programs and materials (e.g., brochures, flyers, mailouts, guidebooks) have been delivered to local landowners, school groups, and community members to increase knowledge of species at risk, including Pugnose Shiner and promote the importance of BMPs to enhance water quality and river health, and encourage involvement in stewardship activities. A Baitfish Primer has also been developed by government and DFO staff to help educate anglers and bait harvesters on the appearance and distribution of Pugnose Shiner while communicating the restrictions around catching this species.

Summary of progress towards meeting the recovery goal

The recovery goal for Pugnose Shiner in Ontario is to “maintain self-sustaining populations at existing locations and promote natural expansion and increases in populations.” Effort made towards implementing the government-led and government-supported actions in the GRS has contributed to progress towards this goal. The provincial record of observation shows that fifteen of nineteen populations are currently extant, several of which have excellent or good or fair viability, suggesting that Pugnose Shiner is persisting in Ontario. Increased inventory and monitoring efforts at new and known locations have also identified nine new populations since the implementation of the ESA. In addition, considerable effort has been made towards creating, restoring and enhancing habitat in Pugnose Shiner areas to improve the quality of the species’ habitat and promote the maintenance and natural expansion of existing populations.

Recommendations

As stated in the GRS, this Review of Progress can be used to help identify whether adjustments to the implementation of GRS actions are needed to achieve the protection and recovery of the species. Based on progress to date, the overall direction provided in the GRS for Pugnose Shiner, particularly the implementation of actions identified as high priority, should continue to guide protection and recovery of the species.

Although effort has been made to characterize habitat and water quality in Pugnose Shiner habitat areas demonstrating initial progress towards implementing Action No. 2, further work is needed to fully implement this action including determining the tolerance of Pugnose Shiner to various water quality parameters and compare it to existing water quality standards. Additional surveys effort at historical sites (Point Pelee National Park, Rondeau Bay, Canard River), would be useful to determine the status of these populations.

Protecting and recovering Pugnose Shiner will continue to be a shared responsibility that will require the involvement of many individuals, organizations and communities. Financial support for the implementation of actions may be available through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program. The government can also advise if any authorizations under the ESA or other legislation may be required to undertake a project. By working together, we can continue to make progress towards protecting and recovering Pugnose Shiner in Ontario.

References

Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO). 2014. Ontario Species at Risk Evaluation Report for Pugnose Shiner (Notropis anogenus). June 2014.