Rusty-patched Bumble Bee

Transcription

1 Miistry of Natural Resources Rusty-patched Bumble Bee Otario Govermet Respose Statemet Photo: Johaa Joes PROTECTING AND RECOVERING SPECIES AT RISK IN ONTARIO Species at risk recovery is a key part of protectig Otario s biodiversity. Biodiversity the variety of livig orgaisms o Earth provides us with clea air ad water, food, fibre, medicie ad other resources that we eed to survive. The Edagered Species Act, 2007 (ESA) is the Govermet of Otario s legislative commitmet to protectig ad recoverig species at risk ad their habitats. As soo as a species is listed as extirpated, edagered or threateed uder the ESA, it is automatically protected from harm or harassmet. Also, immediately upo listig, the habitats of edagered ad threateed species are protected from damage or destructio. Uder the ESA, the Miistry of Natural Resources (the Miistry) must esure that a recovery strategy is prepared for each species that is listed as edagered or threateed. A recovery strategy provides sciece-based advice to govermet o what is required to achieve recovery of a species. GOVERNMENT RESPONSE STATEMENTS The Rusty-patched Bumble Bee has a distictive rusty-coloured patch bordered by yellow o the frot half of its abdome. The species was the fourth most commo bumble bee i souther Otario i the 1970s, but is ow foud oly at Piery Provicial Park. Withi ie moths after a recovery strategy is prepared, the ESA requires the Miistry to publish a statemet summarizig the govermet s iteded actios ad priorities i respose to the recovery strategy. The recovery strategy for Rusty-patched Bumble Bee was published o December 7, 2011 ( The respose statemet is the govermet s policy respose to the scietific advice provided i the recovery strategy. I additio to the strategy, the respose statemet is based o iput from stakeholders, other jurisdictios, Aborigial commuities ad members of the public. It reflects the best available traditioal, local ad scietific kowledge at this time ad may be adapted if ew iformatio becomes available. I implemetig the actios i the respose statemet, the ESA allows the Miistry to determie what is feasible, takig ito accout social ad ecoomic factors.

2 MOVING FORWARD TO PROTECT AND RECOVER RUSTY-PATCHED BUMBLE BEE The Rusty-patched Bumble Bee is listed as a edagered species uder the ESA, which protects both the aimal ad its habitat. The ESA prohibits harm or harassmet of the species ad damage or destructio of its habitat without authorizatio. Such authorizatio would require that coditios established by the Miistry be met. Historically, the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee was widespread ad commo i easter North America, reachig the orther limit of its rage i souther Otario ad southwester Quebec. The species has sice suffered rapid ad severe declie. Sice 2002, the oly kow occurrece of the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee i Caada is at Piery Provicial Park i Huro Couty, Otario. The most promiet threats to the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee iclude the use of systemic pesticides, the spread of diseases from domestic bumblebees (used as polliators i greehouses) to wild bumblebees, ad habitat loss. The govermet s goal for the recovery of the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee is to maitai the curret populatio level, ad if possible, ecourage the atural expasio of self-sustaiig populatios ito suitable areas of its curret ad historic rage. Protectig ad recoverig species at risk is a shared resposibility. No sigle agecy or orgaizatio has the kowledge, authority or fiacial resources to protect ad recover all of Otario s species at risk. Successful recovery requires iter-govermetal co-operatio ad the ivolvemet of may idividuals, orgaizatios ad commuities. I developig the govermet respose statemet, the Miistry cosidered what actios are feasible for the govermet to lead directly ad what actios are feasible for the govermet to support its coservatio parters to udertake. GOVERNMENT-LED ACTIONS To help protect ad recover the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee, the govermet will directly udertake the followig actios: Cotiue park restoratio efforts, such as prescribed burig, i habitat where the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee has bee foud i Piery Provicial Park. Educate other agecies ad authorities ivolved i plaig ad evirometal assessmet processes o the protectio requiremets uder the ESA. Ecourage the submissio of Rusty-patched Bumble Bee data to the Miistry s cetral repository at the Natural Heritage Iformatio Cetre. Udertake commuicatios ad outreach to icrease public awareess of species at risk i Otario. Protect the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee ad its habitat through the ESA. Develop ad eforce a regulatio idetifyig the specific habitat of the species. 2

3 Support coservatio, agecy, muicipal ad idustry parters ad Aborigial commuities to udertake activities to protect ad recover the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee. Support will be provided where appropriate through fudig, agreemets, permits (icludig coditios) ad advisory services. Establish ad commuicate aual priority actios for govermet support i order to ecourage collaboratio ad reduce duplicatio of efforts. GOVERNMENT-SUPPORTED ACTIONS The govermet edorses the followig actios as beig ecessary for the protectio ad recovery of the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee. Actios idetified as high will be give priority cosideratio for fudig or for authorizatios uder the ESA. The govermet will focus its support o these high-priority actios over the ext five years. Research Improve kowledge of the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee ecology ad threats. Actios: 1. (HIGH) Determie the cause of the rapid ad widespread declie of the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee. 2. Udertake research o basic biology such as pheology, respose to restoratio practices, populatio dyamics, overwiterig, ad foragig ad estig requiremets. 3. Determie lethal ad sub-lethal effects of pesticides, such as the eoicotioids, o ative bumble bee species. This research should be carried out oly o species that are ot curretly decliig. Protectio ad Maagemet Protect, maitai ad improve habitat i Piery Provicial Park. Actios: 4. (HIGH) Develop ad promote best maagemet practices for ladowers ad greehouse maagers surroudig Piery Provicial Park to reduce potetial threats, such as the spread of pathoges ad the effects of harmful pesticides. Ivetory ad Moitorig Determie distributio ad abudace of the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee. Actios: 5. Develop ad implemet a Rusty-patched Bumble Bee survey ad moitorig program for Piery Provicial Park ad recet historical locatios (past 15 years). 6. Egage voluteers (e.g., field aturalist groups) to udertake surveys, usig digital photographs to determie the presece or absece of the species. 3

4 IMPLEMENTING ACTIONS Fiacial support for the implemetatio of actios may be available through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fud, Species at Risk Farm Icetive Program or Commuity Fisheries ad Wildlife Ivolvemet Program. Coservatio parters are ecouraged to discuss project proposals related to the actios i this respose statemet with the Miistry. The Miistry ca also advise if ay authorizatios uder the ESA or other legislatio may be required to udertake the project. Implemetatio of the actios may be subject to chagig priorities across the multitude of species at risk, available resources ad the capacity of parters to udertake recovery activities. Where appropriate, the implemetatio of actios for multiple species will be co-ordiated across govermet respose statemets. REVIEWING PROGRESS The ESA requires the Miistry to coduct a review of progress towards protectig ad recoverig a species ot later tha five years from the publicatio of this respose statemet. The review will help idetify if adjustmets are eeded to achieve the protectio ad recovery of the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to thak all those who participated i the developmet of the Recovery Strategy for the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee i Otario for their dedicatio to protectig ad recoverig species at risk. For additioal iformatio: Visit the species at risk website at otario.ca/speciesatrisk Cotact your MNR district office Cotact the Natural Resources Iformatio Cetre TTY mr.ric.mr@otario.ca otario.ca/mr 4

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