A. Species
Scientific name: Lontra canadensis
Common name(s): North American River Otter
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status: Least Concern
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- Canada
Country/Region:
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: National Level
Name/Details of location: Canada
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 2014
End Year: 2014
E. Information about the use
How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat
Type of use: Extractive
Practice of use: Hunting and/or Trapping of live terrestrial and aerial animals
Lethal or non-lethal: Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of: The whole entire organism
Purpose(s) of end use: Decorative and aesthetic
Motivation of use: Income generation from trade (individual/household/community)
Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal under national law
F. Information about the Users
Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: National / local government
G. Information about the sustainability of use
Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: "Export of legally obtained wild-harvested river otter is considered non-detrimental. River otter is harvested as a furbearer species under the authorization of trapping permits or licenses. Canadian export is primarily in skins sold at Canadian fur auction houses. Harvest of river otter occurs in all provinces and territories except Prince Edward Island. The distribution of river otter is widespread throughout much of their historic Canadian range although fragmented in some areas. Wild Species 2010: The General Status of Species in Canada classifies the river otter as Secure in Canada. Harvest statistics indicate stable or increasing populations and no acute widespread threats to the species have been identified. The river otter has not been identified as a candidate species for status assessment by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as it is considered to be of least concern from a conservation perspective. Like all vertebrates in Canada, the river otter is legally protected through provincial and territorial legislation. Under these acts, certain uses of Canadian wildlife are allowed under specific regulations and only with the provision of licenses or permits. Generally, without such a license, the catch, possession, trade, sale, disturbance or destruction of wildlife is prohibited. Provincial and territorial governments are responsible for the management of terrestrial wildlife. River otter harvest activities in Canada occur under programs established for furbearing species and management decisions are guided by planning processes, policy, legislation, trends in historical and recent use, and scientific information. Harvest can be adjusted to ensure sustainable management of the river otter by season, geographical management unit, and/or harvest limit."
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
Record source
Information about the record source: formal_data_stats
Date of publication/issue/production: 2014-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Source Reference(s):
Date of record entry: 2023-06-12