About the Species at Risk Act

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A growing number of wildlife species in Canada face a very real—and in many cases, immediate—threat of extinction. Some of these species are important to industries such as Canada’s fisheries. Some of them are the last of their kind in the world. And all of them have an essential role to play in the environments where they live.

For all of these reasons, the federal government is actively committed to protecting species at risk.

The Species at Risk Act is one of the most important tools in this effort.

What the Act does

	Read the Act
	Click here to read the full text of the Species at Risk Act.

The Species at Risk Act (SARA) was created to protect wildlife species from becoming extinct in two ways:

• By providing for the recovery of species at risk due to human activity; and



• By ensuring through sound management that species of special concern don’t become endangered or threatened.

The Act became law in June 2003. It includes prohibitions against killing, harming, harassing, capturing or taking species at risk, and against destroying their critical habitats.

	How do Species get on the List?
	To begin, species are designated ‘at risk’ by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), an independent body of experts that assesses wildlife according to a broad range of scientific data. The federal Cabinet then decides whether those species should get legal protection under the Act. These decisions are made after consultations with affected stakeholders and other groups.

A collective effort

Three government departments are directly involved in protecting species at risk: Environment Canada, Parks Canada, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Fisheries and Oceans, of course, is responsible for all aquatic species, freshwater and saltwater alike.

From the beginning, it was recognized that no single government, industry or community could protect Canadian species at risk on its own. Governments and stakeholder groups across Canada must all work together. In fact, SARA was designed to encourage such cooperation.

The good news is that everyone can help in some way: by knowing the species at risk and understanding why they’re threatened, for example, or by taking steps to care for their critical habitat.