Harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 12
Technical Summary – Phoca vitulina mellonae
Phoca vitulina mellonae
Harbour seal Lacs des Loups Marins subspecies – Phoque commun de la sous-espèce des Lacs des Loups Marins
Range of Occurrence in Canada:
Quebec
Extent and Area Information
Extent of occurrence (EO) (km²) :
Approximately 900 km²
Specify trend in EO :
Unknown
Are there extreme fluctuations in EO?
No
Area of occupancy (AO) (km²) :
Approximately 670 km²
Specify trend in AO :
Unknown
Are there extreme fluctuations in AO?
No
Number of known or inferred current locations :
3 lakes (Lacs des Loups Marins, Lac Bourdel, and possibly Petit Lac des Loups Marins)
Specify trend in # :
Unknown
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of locations?
No
Specify trend in area, extent or quality of habitat :
Unknown
Population Information
Generation time (average age of parents in the population) :
Unknown
Number of mature individuals :
Small (most recent 1991 estimate was 100 and included all ages)
Total population trend:
Unknown but likely declining
% decline over the last/next 10 years or 3 generations.
Unknown, though major decline occurred historically
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of mature individuals?
No
Is the total population severely fragmented?
Unknown but possibly
Specify trend in number of populations :
Unknown
Are there extreme fluctuations in number of populations?
No
List populations with number of mature individuals in each:
Unknown
Threats (actual or imminent threats to populations or habitats)
- hunting
- hydro-electric development
Rescue Effect (immigration from an outside source)
Status of outside population(s)?
Not applicable
Is immigration known or possible?
No
Would immigrants be adapted to survive in Canada?
Unknown
Is there sufficient habitat for immigrants in Canada?
Unknown
Is rescue from outside populations likely?
No
Quantitative Analysis
Not available
Current Status
- COSEWIC: Special Concern (April 1996)
- IUCN: Data Deficient (based on older data)
- Province of Québec: Susceptible to designation as threatened or vulnerable
- NatureServe: Imperiled (Canada); Critically Imperiled (Québec)
Status and Reasons for Designation
Status: Endangered
Alpha-numeric code: Endangered [C2 a(i,ii); D1]
Reasons for Designation: This land-locked subspecies is endemic to Québec and may number as few as 100 individuals. It inhabits a small series of lakes in northern Québec and is the only sub-species to live entirely in fresh water. The population has declined due to hunting and may still be declining. Proposed hydro-electric development would cause pervasive changes to the habitat.
Applicability of Criteria
- Criterion A: (Declining total population). Population trend is unknown, but suspected to be declining.
- Criterion B: (Small distribution, and decline or fluctuation). The area of occupancy (~670 km²) is <2,000 km² and the extent of occurrence is <5,000 km² (~900 km²) and numbers are suspected to have declined. They live in an interconnected system of small lakes and rivers within a small geographic area (~900 km²). Number of locations is difficult to determine, but is fewer than 10. A continuing decline is inferred in quality of habitat and number of mature individuals. It meets criterion B1ab (iii,v) for Threatened.
- Criterion C: (Small total population size and decline). A population decline is inferred and the number of mature individuals is <250. Meets Endangered criteria C2a(i,ii).
- Criterion D: (Very small population or restricted distribution). There are <250 mature individuals. Meets Endangered criteria D1.
- Criterion E: (Quantitative analysis). None has been undertaken.
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