Critical habitat for aquatic species

The Species at Risk Act (SARA) makes it illegal to destroy the critical habitat of species at risk, and can impose restrictions on development and construction projects. Whether you’re installing a culvert, starting a new dredging operation, or developing a hydroelectric power dam, you need to know about SARA.

What is critical habitat?

Simply put, critical habitat is vital to the survival or recovery of wildlife species. The habitat may be an identified breeding site, nursery area or feeding ground. For species at risk, these habitats are of crucial importance, and must be identified and included in recovery strategies or action plans.

It is your responsibility to ensure that any projects you undertake comply with SARA. The process for doing so remains as it always has been: any works—from marinas to bridges—must be reviewed by local, provincial or federal authorities and authorized through formal approvals and permits.

Apart from making sure you’re in compliance with the Act, you can also take active steps to protect the habitat of species at risk. The Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk (HSP) sponsors local stewardship activities. For more information, visit the HSP website at http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/hsp-pih/.

Want to know more about critical habitat?

Check out our Critical Habitat for Aquatic Species fact sheet (HTML).