Water Stewardship Information Sources

Citation Costello, AB. 2008. The status of coastal cuthroat trout in British Columbia. Presented at Coastal Cutthroat Trout Symposium: Status, Management, Biology and Conservation. American Fisheries Society.
Organization UBC
URL http://web.unbc.ca/~costel0/Publications/Costello_2008.pdf
Abstract/Description or Keywords Coastal cutthroat trout are an important component of British Columbia’s freshwater fauna and
have a wide distribution in low-lying coastal areas of the province. Few cutthroat systems, however, are
routinely monitored in a systematic fashion and the status of many individual populations remains largely
unknown. A recent status review for the federal Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in
Canada suggests that cumulative development pressures and anthropogenic influence have left many
cutthroat populations susceptible to local extirpation. As in other areas to the south, habitat degradation,
overharvesting, and negative interactions with introduced fishes have all contributed to declines. The
largest impediments to conservation in the province remain the lack of adequate habitat protection,
unconstrained land and water use, and an under appreciation of the importance of small streams to trout
conservation. While the majority of cutthroat populations in British Columbia are likely stable, those
located in the densely populated Georgia Basin appear to be particularly at risk of extirpation and are
deserving of additional conservation measures.
Information Type article
Regional Watershed Coast Region
Sub-watershed if known
Aquifer #
Comments
Project status complete
Contact Name Allan Costello
Contact Email [email protected]