Critical Habitat Protected for Paxton Lake Stickleback

Summary#

The Critical Habitat of the Paxton Lake Benthic Threespine Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) Order was registered on February 17, 2020 and published in the Canada Gazette on March 4, 2020. It causes legal protection under the Species at Risk Act for the critical habitat identified in the recovery strategy for the Paxton Lake Benthic Threespine Stickleback.

What it does#

• Triggers the legal protection in the Species at Risk Act that makes it illegal to destroy any part of the listed species’ critical habitat as identified in the recovery strategy.
• The recovery work and regulatory documents describe critical habitat areas including Paxton Lake, Spectacle Lake, Priest Lake and Emily Lake, plus nearby streams and marshes, with shore buffers of 15 m or 30 m around the water edges. (The public documents discuss these lakes for the Paxton and Vananda Creek stickleback groups; it is not fully clear from this single order text whether every listed lake is covered by this specific order or by related orders.)
• Says people who cannot avoid harming habitat can seek a permit or authorization (for example through Fisheries and Oceans Canada processes or an authorization under the Fisheries Act), but any approved activity must include measures to protect the species and support recovery.

Who's affected#

• People who own, use or manage land, shorelines, marshes or water bodies around the lakes named above — for example nearby private landowners and anyone planning construction, drainage, forestry, or other works in or near those waters.
• Project proponents who plan activities in the identified areas; they may need permits or authorizations and must take steps to avoid or mitigate habitat harm.
• Indigenous groups and the Tla’amin wildlife management board were consulted; they may have interests or roles in how the protection is applied locally.
• Provincial authorities (for example, British Columbia) and local stakeholders who manage land or resources in the area.

Why it matters#

• These stickleback fish live in a very small area on Texada Island and rely on nearshore and shallow-water habitats. Legal protection helps prevent changes to those habitats that could push the species closer to extinction.
• For local landowners and developers, the order means more care is needed before doing work near the lakes and marshes; some projects may need approvals or changed designs to avoid harming habitat.
• Penalties exist for destroying protected habitat, including fines (for example up to $1,000,000 for corporations and up to $250,000 for individuals for serious offences) and possible jail time for indictable offences.
• The order builds on other federal protections (including the Fisheries Act) and is intended to strengthen on-the-ground conservation for these rare, local fish.