BACKGROUNDER
RECOVERY OF SPECIES LISTED UNDER THE SPECIES AT RISK ACT
The purposes of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) are to prevent wildlife species from being extirpated or becoming extinct, to provide for the recovery of extirpated, endangered and threatened species, and to manage species of special concern to prevent them from becoming endangered or threatened.
The Species at Risk Act requires recovery strategies for all endangered species. Recovery strategies identify what needs to be done to stop or reverse the decline of a species. Each recovery strategy sets goals and objectives, identifies critical habitat to the extent possible, and describes the research and management activities that are needed. Strategies are prepared in cooperation and consultation with provincial and territorial governments, wildlife management boards, Aboriginal organizations and stakeholders.
These strategies may cover more than one species which occur in the same geographic area or ecosystem, or which have similar threats. Currently, more than 190 recovery strategies are under development in support of SARA-listed species.
Several recovery strategies have recently been posted for consultation on the SARA Public Registry at http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/.
Examples of Recovery Strategies:
Among the proposed recovery strategies that have been posted on the SARA public registry for consultation are strategies for the Northern Spotted Owl in British Columbia, the Leatherback Seaturtle, the Barrens Willow in Newfoundland, and the Piping Plover in Prairie Canada. These species highlight examples of Canadian land-based species, aquatic species, migratory birds as well as the geographical spread of the diverse Canadian species within our country.
Northern Spotted Owl
The endangered Northern Spotted Owl is among the most studied, high-profile owl species in the world because of its close association with old growth forests and the use of these forests by society for urbanization and timber and mineral harvesting. Spotted Owls in British Columbia are limited by diminished quantity and quality of habitat and increased isolation from the larger population in the United States. Threats include further loss and fragmentation of habitat, competition and mixing with Barred Owls, predation by Great Horned Owls and other predators, climate change, negative effects from environmental and genetic variables, and disease (e.g., West Nile virus).
Development of the recovery strategy for the Spotted Owl was led by the province of British Columbia. The recovery goal is to move the Spotted Owl from its current endangered status by establishing a stable or increasing, self-sustaining population that is distributed throughout the species' natural range. The long-term population goal is to increase the number of owls to at least 250 adult owls. Recovery of this species is considered technically and biologically feasible since habitat is currently available to support owls and opportunities exist to improve future habitat conditions.
The Leatherback Seaturtle
There are two recovery strategies for the endangered Leatherback Seaturtle for the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean populations. What little is known about the Leatherback Seaturtle offers tantalizing glimpses into a remarkable physiology and life history. The adult Leatherback is not only the most migratory of all seaturtles, but is also the largest and widest ranging reptile, capable of annual journeys of more than 15,000 km. From an evolutionary perspective, the Leatherback Seaturtle is unique among existing species of turtles and the sole surviving representative of the family Dermochelyidae, thought to be at least 100 million years old.
The recovery strategies specify measures that can be taken under Canadian jurisdiction to promote the recovery of the Leatherback Seaturtle. The recovery goals stated in the Atlantic and Pacific strategies are to achieve the long-term viability of the Leatherback Seaturtle populations frequenting Atlantic Canadian waters and Pacific Canadian waters, respectively. A number of objectives and approaches have been identified for achieving each of these goals.
The Barrens Willow
The endangered Barrens Willow is endemic to the limestone barrens of the Strait of Belle Isle on the northwestern part of the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland. It is threatened by habitat loss and degradation resulting from land use activities. The recovery goal for this species is to secure the long term persistence of the natural population throughout its range. Achievement of this goal is primarily dependent upon the removal or lessening of human threats. Development of this strategy was led by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador which has listed the plant under its provincial Endangered Species Act.
The Piping Plover
The endangered Piping Plover is a migratory bird covered by both the Migratory Birds Convention Act of 1994 and the Species at Risk Act. It has a small population with a wide distribution, occurring from Alberta east to Ontario. The greatest threats to recovery are predation, habitat loss, and human disturbance. The first recovery plan for this species was published in March 2002, prior to proclamation of SARA. The updated SARA recovery strategy aims to achieve recovery primarily through habitat protection and increased productivity. Habitat will be protected through enforcement of protective regulations and conservation and stewardship agreements. Productivity will be increased through predator management, cattle management, and reducing human disturbance at plover sites. A better understanding of the movement of breeding birds between Canada and the United States, of threats on the wintering and breeding grounds, and of the wintering distribution, including in Mexico, is necessary to increase this subspecies' chance of survival and recovery. This will require effective international cooperation.
Federal-Provincial-Territorial Cooperation Key to Recovery Plans:
The Government of Canada has been working in cooperation with provincial and territorial jurisdictions, wildlife management boards and Aboriginal organizations to prepare recovery strategies that are based on the best available knowledge and that are supported by all parties. A number of additional recovery strategies are expected to be posted on the SARA Public Registry in the near future.
Recovery strategies for species at risk are part of the conservation approach that Canadians want governments to undertake. Conserving Canada's biodiversity is vital to the health of the environment and to Canada's long-term economic prosperity.
The implementation of the Species at Risk Act reinforces the Government of Canada's commitment to ensure the protection for species at risk and their ecosystems. Under the Act, stewardship is the first response to habitat protection. Protecting species at risk is a shared responsibility by all Canadians. The government is committed to continuing to work with Canadians in implementing the Species at Risk Act.
All Canadians are invited to join the Government of Canada in supporting and implementing recovery strategies for the benefit of individual species and Canadian society as a whole. For individuals interested in helping species at risk, these strategies provide a wealth of information on threats to the species and their recovery needs. Landowners implicated by critical habitat identification are being consulted and are cooperating on critical habitat protection.
More information on the Species at Risk Act, the national recovery program, the Habitat Stewardship Program for species at risk, and on Canada's Strategy for the Protection of Species at Risk, can be found on the Internet at: www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca; or call Environment Canada's Inquiry Centre at: 1-800-668-6767.
