Environmental DNA (eDNA) applications in freshwater fisheries management and conservation in Canada: overview of current challenges and opportunities

作者：T. Bernos, M. Yates, M. Docker, A. Fitzgerald, R. Hanner, D. Heath, Arshad Imrit, J. Livernois, Erika Myler, Ketan Patel, Sapna Sharma, R. Young, N. Mandrak · 发表于：Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.1139/cjfas-2022-0162 · 被引用次数：25

Environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring methods have played a significant role in improving fisheries management decisions. Yet, their impact to date has been rather limited in Canada, where eDNA analyses are only beginning to be used to inform management and conservation decisions, practices, and policies. Studies investigating hurdles to the incorporation of eDNA data into fisheries management decisions generally focus on technical challenges (i.e. risks of false positive and false negative detections). We set out to identify challenges that eDNA researchers and conservation practitioners must overcome to fully unlock the benefits of eDNA for fish management in the Canadian context. We discuss aspects of the broad and heterogeneous geography, preponderance of regions located far from densely populated areas, complex political landscape, and cultural diversity of Canada that may complicate the design of reliable eDNA monitoring tools or restrict their use if not adequately addressed. To advocate for the wider use of eDNA, we outline a number of action items that would facilitate the broad adoption of eDNA as a monitoring tool at the Canadian scale.