Background information

North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) Population Goals

Explicit, numeric population goals for some waterfowl species have been agreed upon internationally since 1986. The most consistent general approach to setting population goals in the NAWMP is a return to average breeding population levels of the 1970s; a time that was considered to reflect "average environmental conditions", and also when waterfowl populations were considered to meet the needs of consumptive and non-consumptive users (NAWMP 2004). These goals are based on abundance within an area known as the "Traditional Survey Area" (includes the Prairie Potholes, Boreal/Taiga Plains and western Boreal area). Objectives for other waterfowl species, including sea ducks, geese, and swans, reflect abundance levels from a variety of different time periods. For sea ducks, for example, objectives reflect current levels for a number of species. For geese and swans, goals are set at levels that offer sustainable and reasonable benefits to society in terms of consumptive and non-consumptive use. Goals also differ widely among regions, guided by differences in available monitoring information, environmental conditions and other factors. The need for flexibility and exceptions to the original goals of the NAWMP (1986) is widely recognised.

For more information on waterfowl population goals, please refer to the following:

  • North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP). 1986. North American Waterfowl Management Plan. A Strategy for Cooperation. U.S. Department of the Interior and Environment Canada. http://nawmp.wetlandnetwork.ca/Media/Content/files/NAWMP%20Original.pdf
  • North American Waterfowl Management Plan 2004. Implementation Framework: Strengthening the Biological Foundation. Canadian Wildlife Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, 106 pp. http://www.nawmp.ca/pdf/impfr-en-k.pdf
  • North American Waterfowl Management Plan 2012: People Conserving Waterfowl and Wetlands. Canadian Wildlife Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, 498 pp. http://nawmp.wetlandnetwork.ca/publications/