Critical Habitat Protected for Vancouver Lamprey

Summary#

The Critical Habitat of the Vancouver Lamprey (Entosphenus macrostomus) Order legally protects the places the government has identified as critical habitat for the Vancouver Lamprey (Entosphenus macrostomus). The order was registered on February 17, 2020 and published in the Canada Gazette on March 4, 2020.

What it does#

• Applies the protection in the Species at Risk Act that prohibits the destruction of identified critical habitat. In plain terms: it makes it illegal to destroy those parts of the lamprey’s habitat covered by the order.
• Covers both the physical places and the key biological features the lamprey needs (for example, spawning nests and areas where larvae live).
• Specifically identifies habitat in the Cowichan valley watershed on southern Vancouver Island, including:
  • Cowichan Lake, Bear Lake, and Mesachie Lake;
  • Mesachie Creek (the channel between Bear and Mesachie lakes);
  • the lower 100 m of eight unnamed tributaries flowing into Cowichan Lake;
  • the lower 100 m of Halfway Creek flowing into Mesachie Lake;
  • riparian buffer zones of 15–30 m extending inland from the listed streams and two specific areas of Cowichan Lake.
• If the action plan that defines critical habitat is later changed, the order will apply to the revised habitat once that amended action plan is final.

Who's affected#

• People and businesses who plan work or projects in the listed lakes, creeks and their immediate shorelines. That can include landowners, developers, resource companies, and some recreational activities.
• Local governments and managers in the Cowichan valley watershed.
• Indigenous groups and organizations with interests in the area.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada, which oversees implementation and any permits or authorizations.
• The Province of British Columbia was consulted and indicated support after socio‑economic impacts were reviewed.
• The federal review concluded expected costs to businesses are negligible or none; however, anyone planning activities in the area should check whether their plans would affect the protected habitat.

Why it matters#

• The Vancouver Lamprey is a threatened species found only in this small area. Protecting its critical habitat helps prevent further decline and supports recovery.
• The order strengthens on‑the‑ground safeguards for lakeshores, stream mouths and nearby sediments where the lamprey spawns and where its larvae live.
• For everyday people, this can mean restrictions or extra steps (permits or authorizations) for works that would change shorelines, disturb stream mouths, or remove sediments in the listed areas. Those seeking to proceed with activities that might affect habitat can apply to Fisheries and Oceans Canada for authorizations that include conditions to protect the species.
• The government assessed the order as having low socio‑economic impacts while contributing to conservation of a very localized species.