Endangered Species of Newfoundland and Labrador

Sheldon and Justin

What is the rationale behind designating a terrestrial species as endangered, threatened, or vulnerable in Newfoundland and Labrador?  According to the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the designation of a species depends on the sensitivity to extinction under current conditions if no management is implemented to conserve the species¹.  Endangered species face imminent danger to extirpation or extinction, threatened species are likely to become endangered without management, and vulnerable species are sensitive to human activities or natural events¹.  As such, without recovery planning (further elaborated on in Recover Planning blog) these species are likely be pushed to the edge of extinction.

           

As alluded to in our previous blog post, the Wolverine is the only mammal in Newfoundland and Labrador that is listed as endangered.  Though listed as endangered, the wolverine may be regionally extirpated from its eastern range.  There have been no verified reports of the wolverine in Quebec since 1978 or in Labrador since 1950².  However, the eastern Canadian population of the wolverine continues to be listed as endangered instead of extirpated, mainly due to yearly unconfirmed reports that indicate that the wolverine may still persist in its Labrador range.

Figure 1.  An image of two wolverine cubs.  The wolverine is listed as endangered under Newfoundland and Labrador's Species at Risk Act.  Photo Credit: Erwin & Peggy Bauer/Auscape International⁴

Despite the unconfirmed reports of wolverine sightings in Labrador, the eastern wolverine population is highly susceptible to full extirpation.  Wolverines require large expanses of undisturbed forest habitat to maintain viable numbers².  Unfortunately, due hunting and trapping, declining caribou herds, and human encroachment on habitat², the wolverine population has plummeted.  Further, the wolverines low reproduction rate and low population density limit the wolverines potential to recover².

Figure 2.  An American Marten climbing in a tree.  The American Marten is listed as threatened, but shows signs of recovery.  Photo Credit: Dave Watts/natrurepl.com5

            

On a brighter note, the American Marten (or Newfoundland Marten) shows potential signs of recovery since being listed as threatened.  The American marten is highly susceptible to habitat loss and fragmentation due to forestry practices, but since its listing under the ESA and Species at Risk Act (SARA), the marten has shown increases in population numbers³.  Reserves have been established in the Little Grand Lake area to protect and recover the American marten, along with protection within Terra Nova and Gros Morne National Parks.  With provincial and federal protection against harassment, capture, trade, and killing, the marten is likely to recover to viable population numbers³.

           

Figure 3.  The current range of the American Marten on insular Newfoundland.  Photo Credit: Wildlife Division of Newfoundland and Labrador6

As we can see, the listing of a species may not always lead to its recovery.  The success of threatened and endangered species requires not only legislative listing, but the implementation of recovery planning.  Provincial and federal governments need to enforce legislation to take measures to not just inventory all the endangered species, but to actually take action in protecting and conserving endangered species.

For more information on Newfoundland and Labrador's Endangered Species Act, and the species currently listed under the act, see the links below.

Links:

Endangered Species Act: http://www.assembly.nl.ca/Legislation/sr/statutes/e10-1.htm#10_

Department of Environment and Conservation: 

http://www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/wildlife/endangeredspecies/index.html

References: 

¹ Endangered Species Act.  2001.  An act respecting the protection of endangered species. Retrieved on March 2, 2012 at http://www.assembly.nl.ca/Legislation/sr/statutes/e10-1.htm#10_

²Species at Risk Public Registry.  2010.  Wolverine eastern population.  Retrieved on March 2, 2012 at http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/species/speciesDetails_e.cfm?sid=137

³ Species at Risk Public Registry.  2010.  American Marten Newfoundland population.  Retrieved on March 2, 2012 at http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/species/speciesDetails _e.cfm?sid=134

⁴ ARKive.  2012.  Images of life on Earth.  Retrieved on March 4, 2012 at http://www.arkive.org/wolverine/gulo-gulo/image-G114841.html

⁵ ARKive.  2012.  Images of life on Earth.  Retrieved on March 4, 2012 at http://www.arkive.org/american-marten/martes-americana/

⁶ Newfoundland and Labrador Species at Risk.  2012.  American Marten (Martes americana atrata).  Retireved on March 4, 2012 at http://www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/wildlife/ endangeredspecies/nf_marten.pdf