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The Species at Risk Act (SARA) received Royal Assent on December 12, 2002, bringing a close to a nine-year legislative process to protect Canada's species at risk and their critical habitat. The new legislation will come into force in 2003.
The overall goal of the Species at Risk Act is to prevent wildlife species from becoming extinct or lost from the wild, and to help in the recovery of those that are at risk as a result of human activities. SARA provides flexibility so that many different species can be protected, including birds, fish, animals, amphibians, reptiles and plants.
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The Act builds on existing laws and programs, such as the Fisheries Act, the Migratory Birds Convention Act, the National Parks Act, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, as well as provincial and territorial legislation and programs.
Shared Responsibility
The protection of wildlife is a shared responsibility among the provincial, territorial and federal governments. SARA ensures the federal responsibility is met, and it also helps to fulfill some of Canada's international obligations under the Biodiversity Convention.
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Garry oaks on a coastal bluff in British Columbia. Photo: Mark Kaarremaa
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Stewardship is a key component of the cooperative process that brings together landowners, conservationists, Aboriginal organizations, businesses, industries, non-government organizations, governments and other partners to protect species and habitat.
Hundreds of stewardship projects are already underway across Canada, many of them funded by the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk. These stewardship projects range from providing a pathway under a highway to give amphibians a safe access to another part of their habitat, to comprehensive ecosystem approaches to cover multiple species. The Government of Canada committed $45 million to the Habitat Stewardship Program over five years.
Science and Research
Endangered Leatherback Turtle
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SARA ensures there is a strong and independent scientific process to assess species. Under the Act, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) is established by law for the first time. Operating at arm's length from governments, COSEWIC will continue to assess and classify wildlife species using the best available scientific, community and aboriginal traditional knowledge. In the quarter century since its work began, COSEWIC has assessed close to 600 species, and built an enviable record for its scientific integrity and independence.
The Species at Risk Act gives the Government of Canada the power to protect the critical habitat of species at risk. Provisions to compensate landowners that suffer losses in order to protect critical habitat are also included in the Act. The federal government is developing general compensation regulations that will set out the procedures for applying for compensation and will build practical experience in implementing the stewardship and recovery provisions.
The passage of SARA comes on the heels of the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and is an essential part of the Government of Canada's overall environmental agenda. As climate change affects the forests, lands and waters that support species, actions on climate change will also help to protect species and their habitats.
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