Canadian Monarch Management Plan 2016

[Dale McClung]

Hi all,

As you may know in Canada the Monarch has been considered a species at risk for some time. The Canadian government just released a comprehensive plan for monarch conservation. One paragraph quoted below on releases is in the lengthy document.

The release of butterflies (e.g., at weddings and other events) has been identified as a threat to Monarch and other butterflies because it may result in: the transmission of disease and parasites; impacts on migratory patterns; harmful genetic mixing; poaching of butterflies at overwintering sites to support commercial markets; and impacts on studies of butterfly distribution and migration. For this reason, commercial breeding and release of Monarchs is now discouraged by some experts and conservation groups (Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, 2010; Altizer et al., 2014; North American Butterfly Association, 2014).

<http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=6607BEBF-1>

Management Plan for the Monarch (Danaus plexippus) in Canada - 2016
Species at Risk Act
Management Plan Series
Monarch

Dale McClung