Striped Bass St. Lawrence Assessment Referred

Summary#

The federal Cabinet has sent the assessment of the Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) St. Lawrence River population back to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) for more information or consideration. This was done by Order SI/2021-33, registered July 7, 2021 (P.C. 2021-597, dated June 17, 2021).

What it does#

• Refers COSEWIC’s assessment of the Striped Bass (St. Lawrence River population) back to COSEWIC so the committee can provide more information or reconsider its findings.
• Approves posting the government’s explanation (the annex in the Order) on the public registry run by the Minister of the Environment.
• Explains why: COSEWIC’s recent addendum limited its assessment to the historic St. Lawrence population and concluded that the fish currently in the river are not part of that original population. Federal ministers want more information about the status of the existing (stocked) fish before deciding what to do next.

Who's affected#

• COSEWIC, which must review or add information to its assessment.
• Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the Minister of the Environment, who are involved in the follow-up and in listing decisions.
• People and groups with an interest in Striped Bass in the St. Lawrence River, including provincial programs that restocked the river, researchers, and fishers who work or fish there.
• It is not fully clear from the Order how or when any legal protections or management actions will change; the referral delays a final federal decision.

Why it matters#

• The classification of this Striped Bass population affects whether protections and recovery actions under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) apply. Past listings have triggered prohibitions, recovery planning, and efforts to identify and protect critical habitat.
• The key practical question is whether the fish now in the St. Lawrence are treated as part of the original (historic) population or as introduced/stocked fish. That affects future conservation measures and management choices for the river’s fishery.
• Referring the matter back to COSEWIC means the scientific committee will provide more information that could change the population’s official status and the resulting protections.