Photo of a northern Madtom
Photo: Joseph R. Tomelleri

Protecting and recovering species at risk in Ontario

Species at risk recovery is a key part of protecting Ontario’s biodiversity. Biodiversity – the variety of living organisms on Earth – provides us with clean air and water, food, fibre, medicine and other resources that we need to survive.

The Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA) is the Government of Ontario’s legislative commitment to protecting and recovering species at risk and their habitats. As soon as a species is listed as extirpated, endangered or threatened under the ESA, it is automatically protected from harm or harassment. Also, immediately upon listing, the habitats of endangered and threatened species are protected from damage or destruction.

Under the ESA, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (the Ministry) must ensure that a recovery strategy is prepared for each species that is listed as endangered or threatened. A recovery strategy provides science-based advice to government on what is required to achieve recovery of a species.

Government response statements

Within nine months after a recovery strategy is prepared, the ESA requires the Ministry to publish a statement summarizing the government’s intended actions and priorities in response to the recovery strategy. The recovery strategy for Northern Madtom (Notorus stigmosus) in Ontario was completed on November 22, 2013.

The response statement is the government’s policy response to the scientific advice provided in the recovery strategy. All recommendations provided in the recovery strategy were considered and this response statement identifies those that are considered to be appropriate and necessary for the protection and recovery of the species. In addition to the strategy, the response statement is based on input from stakeholders, other jurisdictions, Aboriginal communities and members of the public. It reflects the best available traditional, local and scientific knowledge at this time and may be adapted if new information becomes available. In implementing the actions in the response statement, the ESA allows the Ministry to determine what is feasible, taking into account social and economic factors.

The Northern Madtom is a small catfish found in southwestern Ontario that grows up to 13 cm in length. It is a mottled olive-grey to brown colour with two to three dark, saddle shaped marks on its back.

Moving forward to protect and recover Northern Madtom

The Northern Madtom is listed as an endangered species under the ESA, which protects both the animal and its habitat. The ESA prohibits harm or harassment of the species and damage or destruction of its habitat without authorization. Such authorization would require that conditions established by the Ministry be met.

The Northern Madtom is a globally rare species that is native to North America. Its current range extends through parts of the northeastern United States and southwestern Ontario. In Canada, the Northern Madtom is found only in Ontario in the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River (collectively referred to as the Lake Erie-Huron corridor), and the Thames River. Several juveniles have been collected in all waterbodies where it is known to exist, which suggests that reproduction is occurring. As relatively few specimens have been captured in Ontario, targeted sampling for this species is necessary to gain further knowledge about population demographics throughout its range. The species is believed to be extirpated from the Sydenham River since it has not been captured there since 1975.

The Northern Madtom is a short-lived warmwater fish that typically lives only two to three years and is thought to reach sexual maturity at two years of age. As a result, it may spawn only once or twice during its lifetime. Northern Madtom lays few eggs compared to most other fishes, which makes their populations more susceptible to negative effects on their reproduction. For example, since the species lays its eggs in nests constructed in cavities, such as under large rocks, the spread of Zebra Mussels may interfere with reproduction by covering these cavities, making them unsuitable for constructing nests.

The Northern Madtom’s bottom dwelling and nocturnal nature combined with its rarity in Ontario makes this a difficult species to study. As a result, little is known about the species- specific habitat requirements. Northern Madtom has not been observed in the Sydenham River since 1975 and the high levels of turbidity may have been a factor in the species decline. However, it can be still be found in the turbid waters of the Thames River where siltation, turbidity and nutrient loading are considered severe threats. The major threats facing Northern Madtom in the Lake Erie-Huron corridor include physical habitat loss (e.g. hardened shorelines and other shoreline modifications), invasive species, and toxic compounds in the water. Due to the species’ rarity and cryptic nature, the extent of these impacts are not well known. Further study is required to better understand the threats facing Northern Madtom.

Given the lack of knowledge of the ecology of the species and the scale of habitat degradation at the species’ current locations, recovery efforts at this time are focused on increasing knowledge of the species specific habitat needs and improving water quality conditions to support the long-term persistence of Northern Madtom in Ontario.

The government’s goal for the recovery of Northern Madtom in Ontario is to maintain existing populations at current locations in the Lake Erie-Huron corridor (St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River), and Thames River (the reach of river from Littlejohn Rd. upstream to an area near Tate Corners).

Protecting and recovering species at risk is a shared responsibility. No single agency or organization has the knowledge, authority or financial resources to protect and recover all of Ontario’s species at risk. Successful recovery requires inter-governmental co-operation and the involvement of many individuals, organizations and communities.

In developing the government response statement, the Ministry considered what actions are feasible for the government to lead directly and what actions are feasible for the government to support its conservation partners to undertake.

Government-led actions

To help protect and recover Northern Madtom, the government will directly undertake the following actions:

  • Continue to implement the Ontario Invasive Species Strategic Plan to address the invasive species (e.g. Round Goby, Zebra Mussel) that threaten Northern Madtom.
  • Educate other agencies and authorities involved in planning and environmental assessment processes on the protection requirements under the ESA.
  • Encourage the submission of Northern Madtom data to the Ministry’s central repository at the Natural Heritage Information Centre.
  • Undertake communications and outreach to increase public awareness of species at risk in Ontario.
  • Protect the Northern Madtom and its habitat through the ESA.
  • Support conservation, agency, municipal and industry partners, and Aboriginal communities and organizations to undertake activities to protect and recover Northern Madtom. Support will be provided where appropriate through funding, agreements, permits (including conditions) and/or advisory services.
  • Encourage collaboration, and establish and communicate annual priority actions for government support in order to reduce duplication of efforts.

Government-supported actions

The government endorses the following actions as being necessary for the protection and recovery of Northern Madtom. Actions identified as “high” will be given priority consideration for funding under the ESA. Where reasonable, the government will also consider the priority assigned to these actions when reviewing and issuing authorizations under the Endangered Species Act. Other organizations are encouraged to consider these priorities when developing projects or mitigation plans related to species at risk. The government will focus its support on these high-priority actions over the next five years.

Focus area: Research and monitoring

Objective: Improve knowledge of the species populations, habitat requirements and major threats.

Actions:
  1. (high) Conduct targeted sampling in areas of suitable and potentially suitable habitat in the Lake Erie-Huron Corridor and Thames River to determine population demographics and detect new occurrences. Sampling should be conducted using techniques known to detect Northern Madtom.
  2. Implement a standardized population and habitat monitoring program and evaluate the seasonal habitat needs (including home range and species movement) of all life-stages of Northern Madtom.
  3. Investigate the effects of chemical pollutants, physical habitat loss, and invasive species (i.e. Round Goby, Zebra Mussel) on Northern Madtom in the Huron-Erie corridor; and the effects of nutrient loading, siltation and turbidity on Northern Madtom in the Thames River.

Focus area: Protection and management

Objective: Engage landowners and key stakeholders in stewardship activities to improve habitat and reduce threats.

Actions:
  1. (high) Work with landowners, agricultural operations, drainage supervisors, and conservation authorities to minimize threats to the species’ habitat by encouraging:
    • the development and implementation of Environmental Farm Plans and Nutrient Management Plans; and,
    • implementation of best management practices (BMPs) at highly degraded sites in and around the species’ habitat to prevent or reduce siltation, turbidity, and toxic pollutants in Northern Madtom habitat.
  2. Continue riparian and hardened shoreline rehabilitation in collaboration with existing aquatic ecosystem recovery efforts.

Focus area: Awareness

Objective: Promote best management practices and the importance of minimizing threats to the species habitat among land managers and communities.

Actions:
  1. Develop outreach materials that highlight the threats to Northern Madtom and the importance of implementing BMPs to reduce siltation and turbidity and reduce the input of toxic compounds. Distribute materials to nearby conservation partners, Aboriginal communities, the fishing community, and other key stakeholders.

Implementing actions

Financial support for the implementation of actions may be available through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund, Species at Risk Research Fund for Ontario, or the Species at Risk Farm Incentive Program. Conservation partners are encouraged to discuss project proposals related to the actions in this response statement with the Ministry. The Ministry can also advise if any authorizations under the ESA or other legislation may be required to undertake the project.

Implementation of the actions may be subject to changing priorities across the multitude of species at risk, available resources and the capacity of partners to undertake recovery activities. Where appropriate, the implementation of actions for multiple species will be co-ordinated across government response statements.

Reviewing progress

The ESA requires the Ministry to conduct a review of progress towards protecting and The ESA requires the Ministry to conduct a review of progress towards protecting and recovering a species not later than five years from the publication of this response statement. The review will help identify if adjustments are needed to achieve the protection and recovery of Northern Madtom.

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank all those who participted in the development of the Recovery Strategy for the Northern Madtom (Notorus stigmosus) in Ontario for their dedication to protecting and recovering species at risk.

For additional information:

Visit the species at risk website
Contact your MNRF district office
Contact the Natural Resources Information Centre
1-800-667-1940
TTY 1-866-686-6072
NHRIC@ontario.ca
Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry website