National Recovery Plan for the Vancouver Island Marmot [Plan national de rétablissement de la marmotte de l'île de Vancouver].

Résumé

The Vancouver Island marmot Marmota vancouverensis is the only endemic mammal species in Canada that has been listed as « endangered » either by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) or by any provincial or territorial government. Surveys suggest one metapopulation of 200-300 individuals concentrated in the Nanaimo-Cowichan Lake region. Data on historical distribution and abundance are limited, but marmots have apparently disappeared from some parts of Vancouver Island. Causes are unknown. In 1988 a Recovery Team was established to prepare an action plan that, when implemented, would result in populations of sufficient size and distribution to remove the Vancouver Island marmot from the endangered list. Population objectives are based on the need to prevent inbreeding, maintain long-term genetic variability, and reduce the vulnerability of marmot colonies to extinction through random environmental events. Additional inventory and research activities are essential, but translocation is the most important tool through which recovery objectives can be achieved. The team recommends a population objective of 400 to 600 marmots dispersed in three meta-populations on Vancouver Island. Research, public education and funding requirements are integral components of the recovery plan.