Québec, Quebec - The Cree Nation Government (CNG) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) are pleased to announce the signing of a Conservation Agreement pursuant to section 11 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA). After several months of close collaboration and constructive discussions, the parties have successfully negotiated this agreement for the conservation of Lake Sturgeon (southern Hudson Bay - James Bay populations), a species of special concern under SARA.
This agreement is the first of its kind in Quebec and marks a significant milestone of meaningful collaboration between DFO and the CNG and a key step towards greater partnership between the Government of Canada and Indigenous Peoples for the protection of species at risk.
Lake Sturgeon is a culturally significant species highly valued by the people of the Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee. The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA, signed in 1975), Canada's first modern treaty, protects and guarantees the rights of Cree people as beneficiaries of the JBNQA, including the exclusive use of wildlife resources such as the Lake Sturgeon.
The Conservation Agreement establishes a Nation-to-Nation collaborative framework for developing a threat management plan for Lake Sturgeon in the JBNQA territory by recognizing the essential role and leadership of the Cree Nation for the successful conservation of this species.
This agreement will allow DFO to deliver a SARA-compliant threat management plan for the Southern Hudson Bay-James Bay Lake Sturgeon populations in the territory of the JBNQA, developed in partnership with Cree Nation and with the significant involvement of the communities and knowledge holders.
This work will aim to address threats to the species and its habitat to prevent the species from becoming threatened or endangered. This includes developing conservation measures that focus on:
- surveys and monitoring;
- management and coordination;
- research;
- habitat protection, restoration and enhancement; and
- outreach and communication.
Since the signing of the agreement, a working group comprised of CNG, Cree Trappers' Association (CTA), and DFO members has been formed to develop the Lake Sturgeon threat management plan for Eeyou Istchee. As part of this process, the CNG and CTA have conducted interviews with seventy-six (76) community members from nine (9) Cree communities. Following these interviews, workshops were completed with community members to validate the information that will serve to guide and frame a Lake Sturgeon threat management plan adapted to the Eeyou Istchee territory and JBNQA context.
