What
are Species at Risk?
The term, Species at Risk, refers to wild plants and animals that
have been assessed by an independent body, the Committee on the
Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), and found to
be at some risk of disappearing from the wild in Canada.
Species at Risk are protected by federal legislation, called the
Species at Risk Act (SARA), proclaimed June
5, 2003. Three federal departments are jointly responsible for recovering
listed species: Environment Canada, Parks Canada Agency and the
Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The federal government works
closely with provincial and territorial governments in the recovery
and protection of Species at Risk.
In Ontario, the Endangered Species Act of
1971 was the first provincial legislation of its kind in Canada.
It specifically prohibits wilful harm to endangered species that
are listed in regulations under the Act and the wilful destruction
of, or interference with, their habitats.
About COSEWIC
COSEWIC is an independent body that assesses the national status
of wild species, subspecies and separate populations. (Not all populations
of a particular species may be at risk.)
COSEWIC decisions are based on science and Aboriginal Traditional
Knowledge. Committee members are drawn from each province and territory
and four federal agencies, as well as three nonjurisdictional members,
co-chairs of the Species Specialist Subcommittees, and the co-chairs
of the Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge Subcommittees.
Federal members are experts from the Canadian Wildlife Service,
Parks Canada Agency, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the
Federal Biosystematics Partnership (chaired by the Canadian Museum
of Nature), and provide independent representation to the committee.
| COSEWIC
categories of risk |
| Extinct
- A species that no longer exists. |
| Extirpated
- A species no longer existing in the wild in Canada, but occurring
elsewhere |
| Endangered
- A species facing imminent extirpation or extinction. |
| Threatened
- A species likely to become endangered if limiting factors
are not reversed. |
| Special
Concern - A species that is particularly sensitive to
human activities or natural events but is not an endangered
or threatened species. |
| Data
Deficient - A species for which there is inadequate information
to make a direct, or indirect, assessment of its risk of extinction. |
| Not
At Risk - A species that has been evaluated and found
to be not at risk. |
| Definition
of “species”: Any indigenous species, subspecies,
variety, or geographically or genetically distinct population
of wild animals and plants. |
Federal List of Wildlife Species at Risk |
Photo:
Dense Blazing Star / P. Allen Woodliffe |
The Species at Risk Act establishes Schedule
1 as the official list of wildlife species at risk.
Schedule 1
Species listed in Schedule 1 are protected under SARA as of proclamation
in June 2003. These species were assessed by COSEWIC using the revised
assessment criteria. The list classifies the species as being either
extirpated, endangered, threatened, or a special concern.
Schedules 2 and 3
Species listed in these schedules were assessed prior to October
1999, and require re-assessment using the revised criteria, following
which the Governor in Council may, on the recommendation of the
Minister, add the species to the Federal List of Wildlife Species
at Risk.
Click
here for more information on the listing process
Protection:
It’s about partnership
Wildlife is protected under both federal and provincial laws. All
ministers responsible for Canada’s wildlife, in the federal,
provincial and territorial governments, signed the 1996 National
Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk in Canada, committing
to a national approach for species protection, and establishing
a Council of Ministers to provide direction, report on progress
and resolve disputes.
Role
of federal departments and agencies
The federal government is mandated to protect Species at Risk through
federal laws and agreements. Directly and indirectly, these legal
measures provide protection to wildlife: Species
at Risk Act, Migratory Birds Convention Act, Canada Wildlife Act,
Fisheries Act, and National Parks Act.
Environment Canada has the added responsibility to protect any
species at risk that is not adequately protected by provincial or
territorial laws.
The next few years will be an exciting time for species recovery.
While recovery plans and field work are well established for a number
of listed plants and animals, the new Species at
Risk Act has established expanded responsibilities and rigorous
timelines for recovery actions.
Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Parks Canada
Agency
The Canadian Wildlife Service, the Department of Fisheries and
Oceans (DFO) and Parks Canada Agency (PCA) co-operate on recovery
activities, working in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of
Natural Resources (OMNR). Each department contributes to recovery
teams for species found in their jurisdiction such as aquatic ecosystems,
National Parks and National Wildlife Areas. They also administer
the federal Habitat
Stewardship Program, which provides public funding for priority
recovery projects.
Environment Canada is responsible for the administration of SARA
on behalf of the federal government and is also responsible for
migratory bird species at risk and species found on federal lands
(excluding those found in national parks or historic sites). Environment
Canada is also responsible for protecting any species for which
there is no, or inadequate, provincial protection.
Role
of the provincial government
The Province of Ontario has its own assessment body, the Committee
on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO). The national
and provincial species lists are similar; however, the scope of
the assessments differs. For example, a species may be listed as
threatened at the national level, but may be endangered within the
province due to local circumstances.
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR)
The Province of Ontario has direct responsibility for many species
that are listed under the Species at Risk Act.
Ontario Parks, a branch of OMNR, provides protection for provincially
listed endangered species through the well-established Endangered
Species Act (1971).
In addition, policy applicable to the provincial Planning
Act requires municipalities to “have regard to”
the habitat of endangered and threatened species. The identification
of critical habitat within SARA offers enhanced protection to species
that are listed as threatened or endangered. The federal government
and the Province will collaborate to set criteria and locations
for critical habitat for each species – on federal, provincial,
or privately owned land. |
