Research priorities for the management of freshwater fish habitat in Canada

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AUTHOR(S): Cody J. Dey, Adam I. Rego, Michael J. Bradford, Keith D. Clarke, Katherine McKercher, Neil J. Mochnacz, Alex de Paiva, Karin Ponader, Lisa Robichaud, Amanda K. Winegardner, Court Berryman, Paul J. Blanchfield, Christine M. Boston, Doug Braun, Jacob W. Brownscombe, Christopher Burbidge, Stuart Campbell, Alicia Cassidy, Cindy Chu, Steven J. Cooke, Daniel Coombs, Jenie Cooper, Allen Curry, Maja Cvetkovic, Andréanne Demers, Margaret Docker, Andrea Doherty, Susan E. Doka, Karen Dunmall, Brie Edwards, Eva C. Enders, Neil Fisher, Marika Gauthier-Ouellet, William Glass, Les N. Harris, Caleb Hasler, Jaclyn Hill, Scott G. Hinch, Emma E. Hodgson, Jason Hwang, Ken M. Jeffries, Lonnie King, Rick Kiriluk, Rob Knight, Alex Levy, Jennifer MacDonald, Rob Mackereth, Rob McLaughlin, Charles K. Minns, Jonathan W. Moore, Karine Nantel, Chantal Nessman, Claude Normand, Constance M. O’Connor, Joclyn Paulic, Laura Phalen, John Post, Thomas C. Pratt, Scott M. Reid, C. Alwyn Rose, Jordan Rosenfeld, Karen E. Smokorowski, Darrin Sooley, Mark K. Taylor, Jason Treberg, Jacques Trottier, Tyler D. Tunney, Marie-Pierre Veilleux, Doug A. Watkinson, Dean Watts, Karen Winfield, Jacob P. Ziegler, Jonathan D. Midwood, and Marten A. Koops

CITATION:

Dey, C.J., A.I. Rego, M.J. Bradford, K.D. Clarke, K. McKercher, N.J. Mochnacz, A. de Paiva, K. Ponader, L. Robichaud, A.K. Winegardner, C. Berryman, P.J. Blanchfield, C.M. Boston, D. Braun, J.W. Brownscombe, C. Burbidge, S. Campbell, A. Cassidy, C. Chu, S.J. Cooke, D. Coombs, J. Cooper, A. Curry, M. Cvetkovic, A. Demers, M. Docker, A. Doherty, S.E. Doka, K. Dunmall, B. Edwards, E.C. Enders, N. Fisher, M. Gauthier-Ouellet, W. Glass, L.N. Harris, C. Hasler, J. Hill, S.G. Hinch, E.E. Hodgson, J. Hwang, K.M. Jeffries, L. King, R. Kiriluk, R. Knight, A. Levy, J. MacDonald, R. Mackereth, R. McLaughlin, C.K. Minns, J.W. Moore, K. Nantel, C. Nessman, C. Normand, C.M. O’Connor, J. Paulic, L. Phalen, J. Post, T.C. Pratt, S.M. Reid, C.A. Rose, J. Rosenfeld, K.E. Smokorowski, D. Sooley, M.K. Taylor, J. Treberg, J. Trottier, T.D. Tunney, M-P. Veilleux, D.A. Watkinson, D. Watts, K. Winfield, J.P. Ziegler, J.D. Midwood, and M.A. Koops. 2021. Research priorities for the management of freshwater fish habitat in Canada. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2021-0002

SUMMARY:

Effective management of freshwater fish habitat is essential to supporting healthy aquatic ecosystems and sustainable fisheries. In Canada, recent changes to the Fisheries Act enhanced the protection of fish habitat, but application of those provisions relies on sound scientific evidence. We employed collaborative research prioritization methods to identify scientific research questions that, if addressed, would significantly advance the management of freshwater fish habitat in Canada. This list was generated by a diverse group of freshwater fish experts, including substantial contributions from practitioners who administer provisions of the Fisheries Act. The research questions generated in this study identify priority topics for future research, while highlighting issues that could be addressed with different funding models. As a result, this study should support evidence-based management of Canada’s aquatic resources by identifying scientific knowledge gaps faced by practitioners, and suggesting funding mechanisms to address them. Given the important contribution of Canadian freshwater systems to global ecosystem values, and the similar scientific challenges facing fish habitat managers in other jurisdictions, this study is likely to have broad applicability.

FULL TEXT – Dey et al.