Species at Risk Act: Report to Parliament, 2005
- Introduction
- Message from the Minister
- Introduction
- Consultation and Cooperation
- Stewardship and Public Engagement
- The List of Wildlife Species at Risk
- Measures to Protect Listed Species
- Recovery Measures for Listed Species
- Compliance and Enforcement
- The SARA Public Registry
- Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
- Appendix 1: 112 Species Added to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk (Schedule 1) of SARA in 2005
- Appendix 2: List of Acronyms Used in the Report
I am pleased to provide Canadians with the second annual report on the administration of the Species at Risk Act (SARA), covering January 1 to December 31, 2005.
SARA came fully into force in June 2004, and is an important tool to conserve and protect Canada's species at risk. SARA is a key component of our government's ecoACTION agenda, and is designed to work in a complementary fashion with stewardship programs and provincial/territorial legislation.
This report highlights progress by the federal government and its partners toward identifying and protecting species at risk across the country. Environment Canada has worked closely with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Parks Canada Agency to implement species protection and recovery measures on federal lands and in federal waters. Federal, provincial and territorial governments, Aboriginal organizations, conservation groups and private citizens have all been involved in protecting species at risk.
Highlights from this reporting period include:
- The federal government signed a bilateral agreement for the protection and recovery of species at risk with British Columbia.
- The Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk continued to engage Canadians in stewardship projects across the country. Approximately 152 projects that address terrestrial and aquatic species at risk issues were undertaken.
- The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) continued its valuable work of assessing the status of species at risk. COSEWIC submitted 55 assessments in 2005.
- In 2005, 112 species were added to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk, bringing the total number of listed species to 345 as of December 31, 2005.
- The SARA Public Registry was expanded to include a wide range of SARA-related documents.
I can assure all Parliamentarians and all Canadians that our government is committed to protecting species and their habitats for the benefit of Canadians today and tomorrow.
For more information on SARA, or to get involved in conserving and protecting species at risk, I invite all Canadians to consult the SARA Public Registry.
John Baird
Minister of the Environment
Purposes of SARA
Responsibilities under SARA
The Species at Risk Act (SARA) received Royal Assent on December 12, 2002, and came fully into force on June 1, 2004.
This report provides a summary of SARA-related activities carried out in the 2005 calendar year and in the 2005-2006 fiscal year where information is compiled on a fiscal year basis.
This introductory section outlines the purposes of SARA and the responsibilities of federal departments and agencies under the Act. Subsequent sections describe activities in the following areas: consultation and cooperation, stewardship and public engagement, the List of Wildlife Species at Risk, measures to protect and recover listed species, compliance and enforcement, and the SARA Public Registry.
This report fulfils the Minister of the Environment's obligation, under section 126 of the Act, to prepare an annual report on the administration of SARA during the previous calendar year. The Act requires that the report include a summary addressing the following matters:
- the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC)'s assessments and the Minister's response to each of them;
- the preparation and implementation of recovery strategies, action plans and management plans;
- all agreements made under sections 10 to 13;
- all agreements entered into and permits issued under section 73, and all agreements and permits amended under section 75 or exempted under section 76;
- enforcement and compliance actions taken, including the response to any requests for investigation;
- regulations and emergency orders made under SARA; and
- any other matters that the Minister considers relevant.
In 2005, the Government of Canada engaged an independent consulting group to conduct a formative evaluation of federal species at risk programs. The purpose of the evaluation was to review how the Act had been implemented in the first two and a half years after coming into force. The findings of the evaluation would allow the federal government to modify its approach to the implementation of species at risk legislation and programs in preparation for the SARA five-year review in 2008. As the evaluation was ongoing at the end of 2005, the results of the evaluation and the federal government's response will be included in the 2006 Report to Parliament on SARA.
SARA is an important tool for conserving and protecting Canada's biological diversity. The purposes of the Act are to prevent wildlife species1 from being extirpated or becoming extinct, to provide for the recovery of wildlife species that are extirpated, endangered or threatened as a result of human activity, and to manage species of special concern to prevent them from becoming endangered or threatened.
The Act establishes a process for conducting scientific assessments of the population status of individual species, and a mechanism for listing extirpated, endangered, threatened and special concern species. SARA also includes provisions for the protection of individuals of listed wildlife species, and for their critical habitats and residences.
SARA recognizes that the responsibility for the conservation of wildlife in Canada is shared by federal and provincial/territorial governments. The federal government is responsible for terrestrial species found on federal lands as well as aquatic species and most migratory birds, while the provincial and territorial governments have primary responsibility for other species. SARA is designed to work with provincial/ territorial legislation.
SARA also complements existing legislation administered by Environment Canada and other federal departments and agencies, including:
- The following Conventions and Acts administered by Environment Canada:
- the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora,
- the Convention on Biological Diversity,
- the Canada Wildlife Act,
- the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, and
- the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act;
- The following Acts administered by Fisheries and Oceans Canada:
- the Fisheries Act,
- the Oceans Act;
- And the following Acts administered by the Parks Canada Agency:
- the Canada National Parks Act,
- the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, and
- the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park Act.
Three government organizations share responsibility for the implementation of SARA:
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada oversees matters concerning aquatic species when individuals of these species are found outside Parks Canada Agency waters;
- the Parks Canada Agency oversees matters concerning individuals of species found in or on federal lands it administers; and
- Environment Canada oversees matters concerning all other species, including migratory birds.
The Ministers responsible for these government organizations are referred to as "competent ministers" under SARA (note that the Minister of the Environment is the Minister responsible for both Environment Canada and the Parks Canada Agency). Competent ministers have the authority to make decisions in their respective areas of responsibility and are required to consult with each other as necessary on matters related to SARA. Orders in Council required under SARA, such as orders to list species under the Act, are made by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Minister of the Environment.
Under SARA, COSEWIC is the independent body of experts responsible for identifying and assessing species at risk in Canada. COSEWIC uses a process based on science, Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge, and community knowledge to assess species as extinct, extirpated, endangered, threatened, special concern, data deficient, or not at risk.
The Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council (CESCC) was established under the 1996 Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk, and continues to play a role in the protection of species at risk under SARA. CESCC is made up of federal, provincial and territorial Ministers responsible for conservation and management of species at risk. Under SARA, CESCC:
- provides general direction on the activities of COSEWIC, preparation of recovery strategies and the preparation and implementation of action plans; and
- coordinates the activities of the various governments represented on the Council relating to protection of species at risk.
SARA recognizes that the Aboriginal peoples of Canada possess unique traditional knowledge concerning wildlife species. Section 18 of the Act requires that an Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge Subcommittee be established under COSEWIC for the purpose of integrating this knowledge into the species assessment process. Section 8.1 of SARA also requires that a National Aboriginal Council on Species at Risk (NACOSAR) be established to advise the Minister of the Environment on the administration of the Act and to provide advice and recommendations to CESCC.
NACOSAR consists of six representatives of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada -- one member at large and five others, each nominated by one of the five national Aboriginal organizations listed below:
- Assembly of First Nations
- Métis National Council
- Native Women's Association of Canada
- Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
- Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
1 SARA defines a "wildlife species" as "a species, subspecies, variety or geographically or genetically distinct population of animal, plant or other organism, other than a bacterium or virus, that is wild by nature and (a) is native to Canada; or (b) has extended its range into Canada without human intervention and has been present in Canada for at least 50 years."
Inter-jurisdictional Mechanisms for Cooperation on Species at Risk
Mechanisms for Cooperation with Stakeholders and Aboriginal Groups on Species at Risk
The responsibility for the conservation of wildlife in Canada is shared by federal and provincial/territorial governments. In 1996, all jurisdictions committed to a national approach to the protection of species at risk, under the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk, and agreed to coordinate their activities through CESCC.
In October 2005, CESCC met to discuss issues such as strategic challenges for national species at risk programming, the Council's instructions to COSEWIC, and activities under the Recovery of Nationally Endangered Wildlife Program. CESCC Deputy Ministers also met in 2005 to consider strategic directions for national species at risk programming and a proposed framework for implementing and reporting on the Canadian Biodiversity Strategy.
The federal government is committed to developing bilateral agreements with provinces and territories for the conservation of species at risk. These agreements will ensure coordinated action between federal and provincial governments and will be one of the key measures to ensure that all species listed under the Act are legally protected and that recovery actions are identified and taken. The first bilateral agreement was signed in 2005 with the province of British Columbia, and work to develop and finalize agreements with other provinces and territories is under way.
The Canadian Wildlife Directors' Committee (CWDC) also plays an important role in inter-jurisdictional cooperation on species at risk. The CWDC is an advisory body made up of federal and provincial/territorial wildlife directors, including representatives from Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Parks Canada Agency. The CWDC provides leadership in the development and coordination of policies, strategies, programs and activities that address wildlife issues of national concern and help conserve biodiversity. The CWDC also advises and supports Deputies' and Ministers' councils on these matters.
The CWDC met twice in 2005 and held several conference calls to address issues including:
- coordination and governance of species at risk programming;
- planning of the Minister's Round Table on species at risk;
- development of the species at risk bilateral agreements;
- development of a permitting policy under SARA;
- development of policies and criteria for listing species on Schedule 1 of SARA;
- providing guidance to COSEWIC on species assessment;
- the COSEWIC Annual Report;
- development of a National Recovery Program;
- development of a national template for SARA-compliant recovery strategies.
Committees composed of senior officials from Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Parks Canada Agency are also in place to address policy and strategic issues and to monitor the implementation of SARA. These committees met regularly in 2005, and include:
- the Species at Risk Associate Deputy Ministers Steering Committee;
- the Assistant Deputy Ministers Committee for Species at Risk; and
- the Director General Operations Committee for Species at Risk.
In recognition of the need for further inter-jurisdictional discussion of issues specific to aquatic species at risk, an Aquatic Species at Risk Task Group was established by the Ministers responsible for fisheries and aquaculture. The task group is co-chaired by the province of Nova Scotia and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and includes members representing all provinces and territories. The Aquatic Species at Risk Task Group met twice in 2005 to review draft discussion papers that were being developed in order to provide a basis for the national strategy for the protection and recovery of aquatic species. The task group will develop a national strategy for protection and recovery of aquatic species at risk, for approval by the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers.
The Species at Risk Advisory Committee (SARAC), made up of members of various stakeholder groups including industry, agriculture, and environmental non-government organizations, is an important vehicle for these groups to provide advice to the Minister of the Environment on the administration of SARA. In 2005/2006, SARAC included 11 representatives from industry groups, nine representatives from environmental non-government organizations and two members serving in their individual areas of expertise. Representatives from Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Parks Canada Agency attend meetings of the committee, but are not official members.
SARAC met three times in 2005 to discuss matters related to implementing SARA, including:
- development of policies under SARA;
- planning of the Minister's Round Table on species at risk;
- development of processes related to SARA listing and recovery;
- review of compliance guidelines;
- development of bilateral agreements; and
- review of the National Strategy for public engagement.
Aboriginal peoples and wildlife management boards established under land claims agreements also play an important role in wildlife conservation in Canada. The federal government works closely with these groups in order to ensure their participation in the implementation of various aspects of SARA, including species assessment, listing decisions and recovery efforts. In November 2005, a workshop was held in Ottawa for the purpose of establishing the Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge subcommittee under COSEWIC.
NACOSAR was also established in 2005. At its inaugural meeting with the Minister of the Environment in September 2005, NACOSAR presented its work plan and budget for the 2005-2006 fiscal year. The Council also met in November 2005 to discuss the possibility of a workshop to introduce NACOSAR to Aboriginal communities across Canada.
Stewardship Activities in 2005
Outreach and Education Activities in 2005
SARA recognizes that all Canadians have a role to play in conserving wildlife in this country, including preventing wildlife species from being extirpated or becoming extinct. The Act also recognizes that the conservation efforts of individual Canadians and communities should be encouraged, and that stewardship activities contributing to the conservation of wildlife species and their habitat should be supported to prevent species from becoming at risk.
The Act therefore encourages stewardship and cooperation through provisions for conservation agreements and joint programming for species at risk. These provisions concern:
- administrative agreements (section 10);
- a stewardship action plan (section 10.1);
- conservation agreements for species at risk (section 11);
- conservation agreements for species not at risk (section 12); and
- funding agreements (section 13).
The government of Canada recognizes that the conservation of habitat is critical to the conservation and protection of species. The federal Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) was established in 2000 as part of the National Strategy for the Protection of Species at Risk, and allocates up to $10 million per year to projects to conserve and protect species at risk and their habitat. The goal of the HSP is to contribute to the recovery of endangered, threatened and other species at risk, and to prevent other species from becoming a conservation concern by engaging Canadians from all walks of life in conservation actions to benefit wildlife.
Contribution funding under the HSP is intended to enable recipients to plan, manage and complete projects that will help conserve habitat so that an entire landscape or waterscape will benefit. Project results are expected in three key areas:
- securing or protecting important habitat to protect species at risk and support their recovery;
- mitigating threats to species at risk caused by human activities; and
- supporting the implementation of priority activities in recovery strategies or action plans.
The HSP is managed by Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Parks Canada Agency, and is administered by Environment Canada on a regional basis. Regional implementation boards are made up of representatives from the three federal departments, provincial and territorial governments, and other stakeholders where appropriate. These boards provide advice on priorities, program direction, and project selection for their respective regions. Further information on the HSP is available at http://www.ec.gc.ca/hsp-pih/default.asp?lang=En&n=2D1DA0C5-1.
From April 2005 to March 2006, the HSP provided $9 million in funding to 152 projects that addressed terrestrial and aquatic species at risk issues. Of these 152 projects:
- 28% were directed at freshwater and marine environments;
- 59% involved environmental non-government organizations;
- 14% were negotiated with government agencies; and
- 8% involved Aboriginal partners.
These projects addressed both habitat conservation and threat mitigation, and benefited over 300 species assessed as at risk by COSEWIC. Activities that received HSP funding in the 2005-2006 fiscal year affected 19,343 hectares of habitat through long-term protection agreements and 138,538 hectares of habitat through temporary protection agreements, and improved approximately 4,915 hectares of habitat. Approximately half of the funds allocated through the HSP supported landscape/watershed projects and multi-species projects.
The Missouri Coteau grasslands, located in south-central Saskatchewan, provide valuable habitat for many wildlife species. One of the most serious ecological threats to the Missouri Coteau is the fragmentation of native prairie grassland and associated wetland habitats. In 2005, Ducks Unlimited Canada received funding through the federal HSP to secure 1,167 hectares of remnant native prairie and associated wetlands in the Missouri Coteau through the signing of a perpetual conservation easement agreement. This agreement will protect precious native habitat in the Missouri Coteau in perpetuity, benefiting SARA -listed species including the Burrowing Owl, the Piping Plover (prairie population) and the Sprague's Pipit.
The HSP supported outreach and education activities that engaged approximately six million people in 2005. These activities are essential to support the involvement of Canadians in the protection of species at risk. Over 10,000 people were also involved in monitoring, surveying and inventorying activities to support stewardship.
In 2005, Environment Canada adopted a National Strategy for Public Engagement in the Conservation of Species at Risk. This strategy aims to encourage Canadians to take concrete action to conserve species at risk. It identifies three primary audiences: those who directly affect habitat (landowners, industries and governments), federal Parliamentarians, and Canadian youth. The strategy aims to encourage these groups to participate in Environment Canada conservation initiatives.
In 2005, members of recovery teams and conservation organizations, as well as recipients of HSP funding, received training to assist them in developing skills to engage the public in species recovery. Five training workshops across Canada reached 140 recovery practitioners.
Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Parks Canada Agency also promoted stewardship and compliance by developing educational materials and activities in 2005. These materials, resources and activities included the SARA Public Registry, electronic information bulletins, posters, information sessions, learning activities, online resources, materials to support school curricula and other public education projects.
Environment Canada's regional offices delivered information sessions and presentations on SARA to other government departments, provincial and territorial governments, non-governmental organizations, industry stakeholders, and landowners. Pamphlets on species at risk were developed and widely distributed to landowners, as well as to schools and conservation organizations.
A diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives from the Quebec provincial government, environmental organizations, farming communities, and a local hunting and trapping association, participated in a 2005 meeting to discuss conservation efforts for the Eastern Wolf. This meeting was organized by the Parks Canada Agency as part of an effort to initiate a stakeholder-based conservation project for Eastern Wolf populations around La Mauricie National Park of Canada, and provided an opportunity to inform key interest groups about wolf conservation projects and to address issues raised by each group. In support of this initiative, trapping and hunting organizations invited provincial officials to attend their annual meetings in order to provide background information on wolves and their distribution. Stakeholders were supportive of the proposed approach, and were willing to assist in designing and carrying out the wolf conservation project. This unique collaboration will continue to seek cooperative solutions to wolf conservation in and around La Mauricie National Park.
In 2005, the Parks Canada Agency drafted and consulted on a national ecological integrity outreach education strategy. The results of this process provided a framework for species at risk outreach education that aims to:
- connect Canadians with their natural heritage, particularly in urban settings;
- improve ecological integrity, including the status of species at risk, through an issues-based approach targeting key human impacts; and
- maximize the effectiveness of outreach education through increased capacity and strategic funding.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada's SARA Communications Committee continued to actively develop and implement SARA communications initiatives and outreach programs across Canada. In 2005, the Committee developed a national SARA communications plan to increase awareness of aquatic species at risk with key stakeholders including the fishing industry, the general public, the media, environmental non-government organizations and Aboriginal groups.
Web-based products and initiatives have also been important tools to educate and engage Canadians with respect to species at risk issues. Environment Canada, the Parks Canada Agency, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada have developed, improved and maintained many web-based tools to inform various audiences of species at risk issues and to foster engagement in conservation initiatives. The Species at Risk web site (www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca) presents fact sheets on species at risk and suggests concrete actions that individual Canadians can take to help to protect these species. In 2005, the site received an average of 37,340 visits per month. The SARA Public Registry is another important resource providing information to Canadians regarding SARA and SARA-listed species. The SARA Public Registry is discussed in greater detail on page 26. (Please be advised that the Species at Risk site and the SARA Registry have been integrated.)
The Parks Canada Agency also maintains a species at risk feature on its web site (www.pc.gc.ca/nature/eep-sar/index_e.asp) that includes factual information on species and recovery efforts. It also includes a searchable database of species at risk found in Parks Canada Agency-managed land, and provides youth oriented games and activities on species at risk. The Parks Canada Agency has developed many other educational products and initiatives for species at risk at the local, regional and national levels. Local initiatives include newsletters, signage, interpretive programs, community outreach events, volunteer monitoring programs and community mobilization programs for species recovery. At the regional level, initiatives include curriculum material, pamphlets and flyers, a species at risk hotline and visitor information products. National initiatives include a strategic funding program to support outreach and education relevant to species recovery, the production of displays and promotional material and the production of web-based products and tools.
In 2005, Fisheries and Oceans Canada's comprehensive national web site on aquatic species at risk (www.aquaticspeciesatrisk.gc.ca) continued to be an important vehicle to educate a wide audience. In 2005, the site was expanded and fully updated, and over 30 new species profiles were added. These profiles provide in-depth background on aquatic species at risk, the threats they face, and what Canadians can do to help protect and recover these species.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada also initiated a wide range of outreach projects in 2005, including news releases, speakers' tours, and the production of materials such as backgrounders, species fact sheets, displays, events, videos, calendars, posters, brochures, species ID cards and activity books for children.
SARA establishes a process for conducting scientific assessments of the population status of individual species, and a mechanism for listing extirpated, endangered, threatened and special concern species. Schedule 1 of SARA is the official List of Wildlife Species at Risk. The Act separates the scientific assessment process from the listing decision, ensuring that scientists can provide fully independent recommendations, and that decisions affecting Canadians are made by elected officials who can be held accountable for those decisions.
COSEWIC includes members from government, academia, Aboriginal organizations, non-government organizations and the private sector. Members have expertise in biology, ecology, genetics, Aboriginal traditional knowledge and other relevant disciplines. The Committee assesses the biological status of a species using the best available information, including scientific, community and Aboriginal traditional knowledge.
COSEWIC can assess species as extinct, extirpated, endangered, threatened, special concern, data deficient or not at risk. An extirpated species no longer exists in the wild in Canada, but exists elsewhere in the world. An endangered species faces imminent extirpation or extinction. A threatened species is likely to become endangered if nothing is done to reverse the factors leading to its extirpation or extinction. A species of special concern may become threatened or endangered because of a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats. Further details on risk categories and more information on COSEWIC are available at www.cosewic.gc.ca.
COSEWIC assessments and supporting evidence (i.e., rationale and status reports) are provided to the Minister of the Environment once a year, and are also posted on the SARA Public Registry. Upon receiving COSEWIC's assessments, the Minister of the Environment has 90 days to include in the Public Registry a report indicating how he or she intends to respond to each assessment and, to the extent possible, providing timelines for receipt by the Governor in Council (GiC). These response statements are posted on the SARA Public Registry, and public consultations on species eligible for listing are launched. Extended consultation periods are required for some species.
When consultations are complete, the Minister of the Environment submits the assessments to the GiC. Within nine months of receiving the COSEWIC assessment, the GiC may, on the recommendation of the Minister of the Environment, by Order: (a) accept the assessment and add the species to Schedule 1; (b) decide not to add the species to Schedule 1; or (c) refer the matter back to COSEWIC for further consideration or information. If the GiC has not made a decision within nine months, Schedule 1 shall be amended, by Order, in accordance with COSEWIC's assessment.
Species that were designated at risk by COSEWIC prior to October 1999 must be reassessed using revised criteria before they can be considered for addition to Schedule 1. These species are listed on Schedules 2 and 3, and are not yet officially protected under SARA. Once all the species on Schedules 2 and 3 have been reassessed, these Schedules will be eliminated, and species will simply be listed or not listed under Schedule 1 of the Act.
The following chart provides further details of the species listing process.
The Species Listing Process under SARA
SARA separates the scientific assessment process from the listing decision. This approach ensures that scientists can provide fully independent recommendations, and that decisions affecting Canadians are made by elected officials who can be held accountable for those decisions.
The following chart shows the Species Listing Process Under SARA
When SARA was proclaimed in June 2003, the official List of Wildlife Species at Risk (Schedule 1 of SARA) included 233 species. In 2005, 112 more species were added to the original list, for a total of 345 listed species (Table 1). Appendix 1 provides a complete list of species added to Schedule 1 in 2005.
In 2005, species previously assessed by COSEWIC continued to proceed through various stages of the listing process, including extensive consultations with interested parties. Drafting of a Federal Listing and De-listing Policy was also initiated in April 2005.
The following sections describe activities carried out in 2005 for species that were assessed by COSEWIC between May 2002 and May 2005. These species can be grouped into three batches as follows:
- Batch 1 -- species assessed by COSEWIC in May 2002, November 2002 and May 2003
- Batch 2 -- species assessed by COSEWIC in November 2003 and May 2004
- Batch 3 -- species assessed by COSEWIC in November 2004 and May 2005
At its November 2004 and May 2005 meetings, COSEWIC assessed a total of 73 species (Batch 3). Of these 73 species, 55 were assessed as at risk, and their assessments were forwarded to the Minister of the Environment in August 2005.
In November 2005, the Minister of the Environment posted response statements for these 55 species assessments on the SARA Public Registry. The assessments for 39 of the 55 species were forwarded to the GiC in November 2005. The remaining 16 species were aquatic species that required extended consultations before their assessments could be transmitted to the GiC, as their listing was determined to have potential significant impacts on the activities of Aboriginal peoples, commercial and recreational fishers, and Canadians at large.
In May 2005, COSEWIC conducted an emergency assessment of the Okanagan population of Chinook Salmon in response to a request by the Fisheries Department of the Okanagan Nation Alliance. By the end of 2005, the Minister of the Environment had not yet formed an opinion as to whether this species faced an imminent threat.
In November 2005, the Minister of the Environment launched consultations on amending the List of Wildlife Species at Risk under SARA. A document entitled Consultation on Amending the List of Species under the Species at Risk Act: November 2005 was prepared and posted on the SARA Public Registry as a tool to facilitate consultations. This publication pertained to 33 terrestrial species from Batch 3. Approximately 1000 copies of the document were distributed to targeted stakeholders including provincial and territorial governments, wildlife management boards, Aboriginal communities, and other stakeholders and affected parties.
In 2005, Fisheries and Oceans Canada completed consultations on the proposed listing of seven species from Batch 2 that underwent extended consultations, and six species from Batch 3. Fisheries and Oceans Canada also launched extended consultations on 16 other Batch 3 species (four marine mammals and 12 fishes). Consultations were facilitated through workbooks and other supporting documents posted on the SARA Public Registry and the Fisheries and Oceans Canada web site. Workbooks were mailed directly to other government departments, stakeholders, Aboriginal peoples and non-government organizations. Meetings were also held with interested or potentially affected individuals, organizations and Aboriginal peoples.
In order to efficiently organize consultations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada grouped species according to geographical location, and used existing mechanisms such as pre-scheduled recovery strategy workshops and regular industry consultation meetings as vehicles for discussion of potential implications and concerns as a result of listing species under SARA. Fisheries and Oceans Canada also continued to implement its socio-economic analysis stakeholder and academic review process for several aquatic species. Meetings were held with provincial representatives, Aboriginal groups, industry representatives, environmental non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders in order to review the draft socio-economic analysis reports and incorporate the input of these groups.
The Parks Canada Agency continued to work with Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada in 2005 to ensure that all stakeholders were consulted, and to avoid duplication of consultation efforts.
In 2005, 112 species were added to Schedule 1 of SARA, decisions were made not to add eight species to Schedule 1, and the assessments of three species were referred back to COSEWIC for further information or consideration. Table 2, below, summarizes the stage of the listing process reached by species from all Batches at the end of 2005, and gives projected dates for next steps. Appendix 1 of this report provides details on species added to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk in 2005.
COSEWIC assessments | Extirpated, Endangered, Threatened or Special Concern | Minister’s receipt | Consultation process | GiC receipt | GiC proposal (CGI)* | GiC final decision (CGII)* | Listing decision | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Normal | Extended | Listed | Not listed | Referred back | ||||||
Schedule 1 at proclamation | 233 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 233 | ||
Batch 1 May 2002, Nov. 2002 and May 2003 115 species |
91 | Jan. 2004 | 79 | April 2004 | Oct. 2004 | Jan. 2005 | 73 | 5** | 1 | |
July 2005 | Polar Bear | |||||||||
12 | July 2005 | Dec. 2005 | [2006] | |||||||
Batch 2 Nov. 2003 and May 2004 59 species |
51 | July 2004 | 44 | Oct. 2004 | May 2005 | July 2005 | 39 | 4 | 1 | |
7 | Nov. 2005 | [2006] | [2006] | |||||||
Batch 3 Nov. 2004 and May 2005 73 species |
55 | Aug. 2005 | 39 | Nov. 2005 | [2006] | [2006] | ||||
16 | [2007] | [2007] | [2007] |
* Canada Gazette Part I/II
** Includes the Polar Bear (referred back to COSEWIC in July 2005 after a decision not to list was made in January 2005).
In January 2005, of the 79 Batch 1 species whose assessments were received by the GiC in April 2004 (see Table 2):
- 73 were added to Schedule 1;
- 5 were not added to Schedule 1; and
- 1 had its assessment referred back to COSEWIC.
Of the five species that were not added to Schedule 1, the Northwestern population of Grizzly Bear, the Polar Bear, and the Western population of Wolverine were not listed in order to allow for further consultation with the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board. In July 2005, following consultations with the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, the GiC decided to refer the assessment for the Polar Bear back to COSEWIC for further information and consideration. The Cultus and Sakinaw populations of Sockeye Salmon were not listed because the social and economic costs of listing were considered unacceptably high. The assessment of the Speckled Dace was referred back to COSEWIC for further information and consideration.
In July 2005, of the 44 Batch 2 species whose assessments were received by the GiC in October 2004 (see Table 2):
- 39 were added to Schedule 1;
- 4 were not added to Schedule 1; and
- one had its assessment referred back to COSEWIC.
Of the four species that were not added to Schedule 1, the Peary Caribou, the Barren-ground Caribou (Dolphin and Union population), and the Porsild's Bryum moss were not listed in order to allow for further consultation with the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board and the Government of Nunavut. The Plains Bison was not listed because the social and economic costs of listing were considered unacceptably high. The assessment of the Dwarf Woolly-head was referred back to COSEWIC for further information and consideration.
In July 2005, following extended consultations, the GiC received the assessments of 12 aquatic species from Batch 1. In December 2005, the Minister of the Environment's listing recommendations to the GiC for these 12 species were published in Canada Gazette Part I. For these 12 species, the Minister proposed that:
- 3 be added to Schedule 1;
- 3 not be added to Schedule 1; and
- 6 have their assessments referred back to COSEWIC.
The three Atlantic Cod populations (Newfoundland and Labrador, Laurentian North, and Maritime populations) that were not added to Schedule 1 were not listed for several reasons, including complexities associated with the differing biological status and socio-economic and management implications of each cod stock. The assessments for the Arctic population of Atlantic Cod, the Bocaccio, the Cusk, the Northwest Atlantic population of Harbour Porpoise, the Shortjaw Cisco, and the Lake Winnipeg Physa Snail were returned to COSEWIC for further information or consideration.
The decisions not to list certain species were based on scientific assessments by COSEWIC, on consultations with governments, Aboriginal peoples, wildlife management boards, stakeholders and the Canadian public, and on analyses of benefits and costs to Canadians. Additional details concerning GiC decisions not to list species or to refer species assessments back to COSEWIC are provided in the Orders published in the Canada Gazette, which are available on the SARA Public Registry.
In November 2005, the GiC received the assessments of seven species from Batch 2 and 39 species from Batch 3. Under SARA, the GiC has 9 months following the receipt of species assessments to come to a decision concerning the listing of those species.
The protections that come into effect following the addition of a species to Schedule 1 of SARA vary depending on the type of species, the risk category in which the species is listed, and where the species occurs in Canada. The text box below provides a detailed description of the SARA prohibitions and how they are applied.
SARA Prohibitions Protecting Individuals and Their Residences and How They Apply
Sections 32 and 33 of SARA make it an offence to:
- kill, harm, harass, capture or take an individual of a species that is listed as extirpated, endangered or threatened;
- possess, collect, buy, sell or trade an individual of a species that is listed as extirpated, endangered or threatened, or any of its parts or derivatives;
- damage or destroy the residence of one or more individuals of a species that is listed as endangered or threatened, or of a species listed as extirpated if a recovery strategy has recommended its reintroduction into the wild in Canada.
These prohibitions apply automatically to listed aquatic species and birds covered by the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 wherever they are found in Canada, and to all other listed species when they occur on federal lands* in a province, or on federal lands under the authority of Environment Canada or the Parks Canada Agency in a territory.
Provinces and territories are given the first opportunity to protect listed species. If the province or territory does not act, the GiC, on the recommendation of the Minister of the Environment, may order that the prohibitions in sections 32 and 33 apply for a given species on non-federal lands in a province or territory, or on lands not controlled by Environment Canada or the Parks Canada Agency in a territory. The Minister must make this recommendation if, after consultation with the provincial or territorial minister, he or she finds that the species or its residence** is not effectively protected by the laws of the province or territory.
* Under SARA, the definition of federal land includes, but is not limited to: Canada's oceans and waterways, national parks, military training areas, national wildlife areas, some migratory bird sanctuaries, and First Nations reserve lands.
** "Residence" means a dwelling-place, such as a den, nest or other similar area or place that is occupied or habitually occupied by one or more individuals during all or part of their life cycles, including breeding, rearing, staging, wintering, feeding or hibernating.
SARA authorizes the government to take action to protect listed species and the habitat that is necessary for their survival or recovery. If the competent Minister forms an opinion that a listed wildlife species is facing an imminent threat to its survival or recovery, he or she must recommend to the Governor in Council that an emergency order be issued. An emergency order can prohibit activities that may adversely affect the species or its habitat. No emergency orders were issued under SARA in 2005.
Sections 73 to 78 of SARA address agreements, permits, licences, orders and other documents that authorize activities that would otherwise be an offence under the Act. If all reasonable alternatives have been considered, all feasible measures will be taken to minimize the impact of the activity, and the survival or recovery of the species will not be jeopardized, agreements may be made and permits may be issued for the following activities:
- research relating to conserving a listed species that is conducted by qualified scientists;
- activities that benefit a listed species or enhance its chances of survival in the wild; and
- activities that incidentally affect a listed species.
The drafting of a Federal Policy on Permits and Agreements was initiated in April 2005. Environment Canada also established a web-based SARA permit tracking system to allow more efficient processing and issuing of permits under section 73 in 2005. The Department is exploring refining the system to allow for the online completion and submission of permit applications.
Environment Canada issued 98 permits to allow monitoring, inventory and management of a variety of species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and plants in 2005. Most of these were issued for scientific research related to species conservation. Of these 98 permits, 43 were issued under section 73 of the Act, and 55 under section 74 of the Act.
In 2005, Fisheries and Oceans Canada issued approximately 9,600 permits for Northern Wolffish and Spotted Wolffish, and 72 permits for Leatherback Seaturtle under paragraph 73(2)(c) of SARA to fishers in Atlantic Canada whose activities might cause incidental harm to these listed species. These permits were issued following peer-reviewed assessments which determined that the level of harm from by-catch would not jeopardize survival or recovery of these species. A total of 23 scientific permits were issued for research in freshwater and 24 research permits were issued for work in marine areas, under paragraph 73(2)(a) of the Act.
In 2005, the Parks Canada Agency issued 18 permits for scientific research related to the conservation of a variety of species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and plants, and delivered training on species at risk permitting to staff.
Rationales for permits issued under sections 73 and 74 of the Act are posted on the SARA Public Registry.
Species recovery includes a wide range of measures to restore populations of species at risk. Under SARA, the competent Ministers must prepare recovery strategies and action plans for listed extirpated, endangered or threatened species, and management plans for species listed as special concern. Recovery strategies identify threats to the species and its habitat, identify critical habitat to the extent possible, and set recovery goals, while management plans include measures for species conservation. The Act also outlines specific cooperation and consultation requirements for the preparation of recovery strategies and action plans. The text box below provides details concerning the timelines for recovery efforts under SARA for endangered, threatened, extirpated and special concern species.
Timelines for Recovery Planning
For all species included in the List of Wildlife Species at Risk (Schedule 1) on June 5, 2003:
- a recovery strategy must be prepared within three years for endangered species and within four years for threatened or extirpated species;
- a management plan must be prepared within five years for species of special concern.
For all newly assessed species added to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk after June 5, 2003:
- a recovery strategy must be prepared within one year of listing for endangered species and within two years for threatened or extirpated species;
- a management plan must be prepared within three years of listing for species of special concern.
For all Schedule 2 and Schedule 3 species reassessed and added to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk (Schedule 1) after June 5, 2003 (sections 132 and 133 of SARA):
- a recovery strategy must be prepared within three years of listing for endangered species and within four years for threatened or extirpated species;
- a management plan must be prepared within five years of listing for species of special concern.
Proposed recovery strategies, action plans and management plans are posted on the SARA Public Registry for a 60-day public comment period. Comments are considered and changes made where appropriate. The final documents are posted on the Registry within 30 days of the close of the public comment period. Five years after a recovery strategy, action plan or management plan comes into effect, the competent minister must report on progress made toward stated objectives.
No recovery strategies, action plans or management plans were posted on the SARA Public Registry in 2005, as the first deadline for completion of SARA recovery strategies is January 2006 (see Table 4). Recovery strategies are developed cooperatively by the federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions responsible for each species, and in cooperation and consultation with other interested parties as required under the Act. Provinces and territories lead the development of the recovery strategies for many terrestrial species.
A standard template and associated guidelines have been developed to ensure consistency and SARA-compliance of documents, such as recovery strategies, intended for the SARA Public Registry. In 2005, planning was undertaken to address challenges in producing the large number of recovery strategies required for species listed as extirpated, endangered or threatened on Schedule 1 when SARA came into force.
Table 3 shows the number of species listed on Schedule 1 by government department/agency responsible for recovery planning under SARA (SARA-responsible agency). Table 4 shows timelines for the development of recovery strategies for listed extirpated, endangered and threatened species by SARA-responsible agency.
SARA Responsible Agency | Number of Species for Which a Recovery Strategy is Due by Date | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | ||||||
January | June | July | January | June | July | January | July | January and July | |
Environment Canada | 9 | 68 | 6 | 7 | 52 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 12 |
Fisheries and Oceans Canada | 3 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 |
Parks Canada Agency | 4 | 20 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Total* (271) | 16 | 105 | 12 | 11 | 85 | 6 | 15 | 4 | 17 |
In 2005, Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Parks Canada Agency continued to dedicate significant resources to support the recovery of species at risk and to encourage partnerships with various stakeholders. Ongoing activities to support recovery included identification of habitat requirements, habitat protection and restoration, gene banking, compliance promotion, development of management guidelines, public outreach, and research. Research is directed primarily at identifying and mitigating threats, and assessing and monitoring species' conditions.
In 2005, the Interdepartmental Recovery Fund supported 73 projects led by eight federal departments and three Crown corporations. The value of these projects totalled $1.89 million. The portion of Interdepartmental Recovery Fund monies allocated to federal departments other than those responsible for implementing SARA continues to grow. These funds are used to support survey work and to implement high priority recovery activities identified in recovery strategies for species at risk that occur on federal lands or that are under federal jurisdiction.
A total of $744,906 (58% from Environment Canada, 42% from World Wildlife Fund Canada) was awarded to 63 projects through the Endangered Species Recovery Fund in 2005. These funds supported research and education efforts by scientists and conservation advocates working to recover Canadian species at risk (www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca/support/esrf_frep/default_e.cfm).
During the 2005–2006 fiscal year, Environment Canada invested over $3 million in priority recovery implementation activities for numerous species at risk across the country. These projects included surveys, population studies, critical habitat assessment, habitat restoration, outreach and education, development of appropriate land use guidelines, and captive breeding and release into the wild of species at risk. Fisheries and Oceans Canada also invested over $1.5 million in high-priority recovery implementation activities for aquatic species at risk in the 2005-2006 fiscal year. These activities included marine mammal surveys, fish by-catch mitigation studies, and captive broodstock programs.
In 2005, the Parks Canada Agency invested over $2 million in high-priority recovery activities for species at risk in and around national protected heritage areas. The Agency also initiated three major projects that take an ecosystem approach to species at risk recovery. Each project represents an investment of more than $1 million over three years. The Parks Canada Agency provided $616,000 for inventories in over 30 national protected heritage areas in 2005. Inventories are essential to improve knowledge of biodiversity and to document the presence, location and status of species at risk in national protected heritage areas. Findings from these inventories inform national assessments of the risk of extinction of various species, recovery planning and critical habitat identification.
Eastern Loggerhead Shrike
The Eastern Loggerhead Shrike (migrans subspecies) is a predatory songbird found mainly in south-eastern Manitoba, southern Ontario and western Quebec. The Eastern Loggerhead Shrike has been in decline over the past century, and it is listed as endangered under SARA.
The recovery strategy for this bird focuses on protecting and enhancing suitable breeding habitat, population monitoring, and studies of breeding grounds to determine potential threats. In 2005, studies that aimed to identify wintering areas and to determine if low survival in these areas is a primary cause of species decline were also underway.
In 1997, a captive population of Loggerhead Shrikes was established in order to maintain the genetic diversity of the declining wild population. Several private landowners in Ontario allowed temporary aviaries to be installed in their cattle pastures in support of the recovery of this species. The Ontario captive breeding and release program uses outdoor enclosures in suitable breeding habitat to provide a safe space for captive shrike pairs to nest and raise young birds. The success of this program has led to the release of 221 young shrikes since 2001. Another 32 birds have been released since 2004 from a captive breeding program established in Quebec.
In June 2005, a captive-bred female released in 2004 returned to the Carden Plain (east of Orillia) to raise a brood of six young. This was the first captive-bred shrike known to successfully migrate, breed and rear young.
Toads Along the Trail
The Western Toad is listed as a species of special concern under SARA. This species has experienced widespread and unexplained population declines in the southern part of its range in British Columbia. The Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site, which has significant natural as well as historical and cultural values, provides a home for this toad.
In 2004-2005, as part of the Species at Risk Inventory Fund, the Parks Canada Agency set out to determine the distribution and abundance of the Western Toad in the Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site. Researchers aimed to identify breeding sites and other habitat features, as well as threats which may be limiting factors for toad populations. Western toad specimens were also screened for diseases and abnormalities. The results of this study are guiding the Agency in management of the Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site and conservation efforts for the Western Toad.
Environment Canada administers two funds to support Aboriginal engagement in SARA implementation. The Aboriginal Capacity Building Fund is designed to enable Aboriginal organizations and communities across Canada to build capacity for the protection and recovery of species at risk. In 2005-2006, $1 million was made available through this fund.
The Aboriginal Critical Habitat Protection Fund is largely directed toward the identification and protection of critical habitat on Aboriginal lands. In the 2005-2006 fiscal year, this fund provided $495,000 in funding to 18 projects to protect critical habitat on First Nation and Inuit lands, including projects that aimed to:
- inform and train Aboriginal peoples on protection and recovery of species at risk and their habitats;
- collect and analyze critical habitat data on Aboriginal lands; and
- collect and use Aboriginal traditional knowledge.
The federal government recognizes the importance of compliance education in the protection and recovery of species at risk. Officials from Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Parks Canada Agency continue to work together to ensure that Canadians are informed about SARA and their responsibilities under the Act. Offences under SARA can be prosecuted as indictable or summary conviction offences.
In 2005, Environment Canada produced an information kit to engage and inform various stakeholders about their obligations under SARA. The kit provides an overview of compliance and includes information on recovery measures and the protections accorded to listed species. Online guides for private landowners and federal land managers have been published, and similar guides have been drafted for other audiences including: industry; individuals living on, working on or managing First Nations reserves; and visitors to federal lands (such as national parks). Fact sheets on critical habitat, permitting, and the role of SARA in the environmental assessment process were also in development in 2005.
The Environment Canada Wildlife Enforcement Directorate also provided support for compliance promotion work led by the Canadian Wildlife Service. In 2005, Environment Canada enforcement and wildlife officials participated in a Compliance Promotion Working Group, and SARA awareness sessions in Atlantic Canada.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada also implemented education and outreach activities to support SARA compliance with regard to aquatic species at risk in 2005. These activities included:
- holding conservation harvesting workshops with industry and Aboriginal organizations;
- establishing partnerships with non-government organizations for response to marine mammal stranding incidents or entanglements; and
- holding consultation sessions with the fishing industry and Aboriginal groups.
Enforcement actions under SARA are carried out by trained Environment Canada wildlife enforcement officers and are coordinated regionally by a SARA enforcement coordinator. In 2005, Environment Canada wildlife enforcement officers responded to 14 cases, including inquiries and complaints, and undertook five investigations under SARA.
In the Quebec region, Environment Canada wildlife enforcement officers conducted 23 days of patrols in order to enforce SARA in priority areas, 21 of which were undertaken in partnership with the Quebec Ministère des ressources naturelles et de la faune.
Environment Canada also continued its work on policies and measures for enforcement under SARA in cooperation with the Parks Canada Agency and Fisheries and Oceans Canada in 2005. These efforts included:
- establishing a process to address applications for investigations requested under the Act (s. 93);
- developing a process for using the alternative measures section of SARA (s. 108);
- drafting a policy on SARA compliance and enforcement; and
- negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding with Transport Canada for cooperative enforcement of Canada's environmental laws, including SARA, in the marine sector.
Following the completion of SARA enforcement training for all fishery officers, Fisheries and Oceans Canada implemented compliance promotion and enforcement activities for aquatic species at risk in 2005. These activities included increased patrols, monitoring and investigations under the Act.
Compliance promotion and monitoring for aquatic species at risk by Fisheries and Oceans Canada has raised awareness of SARA and has increased the number of compliance-related incidents reported. In 2005, Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Conservation and Protection Branch undertook several investigations and enforcement actions in response to reported SARA infractions. These actions included the laying of the first charge under SARA relating to an aquatic species (see box below).
Enforcement Officers on Patrol
Increased monitoring and investigations for aquatic species at risk by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in 2005 led to significant achievements in detecting SARA infractions. Notable examples include the inspection of a fishing vessel by Fisheries and Oceans Canada officers in the Atlantic region, which resulted in a charge and successful prosecution under the Act for illegal possession of Northern Wolffish, a species listed as threatened under SARA. This was the first charge relating to an aquatic species laid under the Act.
In the Pacific Region, Fisheries and Oceans Canada's enforcement efforts focused on poaching of the Northern Abalone, a mollusc listed as threatened under SARA. An Abalone Coast Watch program was widely supported by coastal First Nations communities, the members of which reported suspicious activities through a toll-free line set up by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
In addition to following up on suspected Abalone poaching, Fisheries and Oceans Canada officials conducted enforcement patrols and searches of airports and ferries using a search dog and handler. This diligence was rewarded in 2005, with several well-publicized convictions for illegal possession and harvest of Abalone. Offenders were subject to sizable deterrent penalties, including fines of up to $35,000, and boats, vehicles and equipment used during the offence were confiscated.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada also adapted existing data systems, used to track Conservation and Protection activities under the Fisheries Act, to capture data on compliance activities and occurrences related to SARA in 2005. (Note that the term "occurrence" includes any incident related to a prohibition under SARA, as well as incidents in which listed species are illegally harvested, incidentally caught or harmed, or found dead). The reports generated through these systems are valuable in tracking resources and trends in occurrences related to SARA, and in supporting compliance program planning.
Enforcement and compliance promotion initiatives undertaken by the Parks Canada Agency in 2005 included the establishment of a National Coordinator for SARA Law Enforcement, and the initiation of a planning process to integrate SARA law enforcement considerations into the Parks Canada SARA Program, and into the Parks Canada National Law Enforcement Program. A Law Enforcement Training Course was also developed and implemented to train and designate park wardens as SARA enforcement officers, in order to enable them to enforce SARA provisions. In the first phase of this program, 86 park wardens, including instructors, were trained in enforcement. Subsequent phases of the program will result in the training of an additional 125 park wardens, bringing the total enforcement officer capacity to 211. The Parks Canada Agency has also developed law enforcement messaging as part of its internal compliance promotion and outreach program.
The SARA Public Registry fulfils the requirement under the Act for the Minister of the Environment to establish a public registry for the purpose of facilitating access to SARA-related documents. The Public Registry was developed as an online resource, and has been accessible since the proclamation of SARA in 2003. In addition to providing access to documents and information related to the Act, the Public Registry provides a forum to submit comments on SARA-related documents being developed by the Government of Canada.
Section 123 of SARA identifies documents that must be published on the Public Registry, including:
- regulations and orders made under the Act;
- agreements entered into under section 10 of the Act;
- COSEWIC's criteria for the classification of wildlife species;
- status reports on wildlife species that COSEWIC has had prepared or has received with an application;
- the List of Wildlife Species at Risk;
- codes of practice, national standards or guidelines established under the Act;
- agreements and reports filed under section 111 or subsection 113(2) of the Act, or notices that these have been filed in court and are available to the public; and
- all reports made under sections 126 and 128 of the Act.
Other documents prepared in response to the requirements of SARA, including recovery strategies, action plans, management plans, and reports on round table meetings are also posted on the Public Registry.
The SARA Public Registry is maintained through the collaborative efforts of partners and stakeholders, and is an important tool in engaging and informing Canadians on species at risk issues and supporting public participation in decision-making related to species at risk.
A number of new documents were added to the SARA Public Registry in 2005, including the 2003-2004 SARA Annual Report and COSEWIC annual reports, COSEWIC status reports and species assessments, Ministerial response statements, Orders, administrative agreements, and permit explanations. A series of fact sheets was also added to provide information on SARA and its requirements for compliance.
The Public Registry continued to be an important tool to facilitate public consultations on proposed species listings and residence descriptions in 2005. Efforts also focused on the production of e-mail newsletters to provide updates to SARA Public Registry subscribers. As a result of public consultations and outreach efforts, usage of the SARA Public Registry increased in 2005 (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Average Monthly Visits per Year to the SARA Public Registry
The following table shows the average monthly visits to the SARA Public Registry, by year.
Between the months of June 2003 (when the Registry was launched) and December of 2003 the average monthy visits was 8752. For 2004 the average monthy visits was 21 743 and for 2005 the average monthy visits was 37 340.
The Public Registry can be accessed at www.sararegistry.gc.ca
Canada. Environment Canada
Species at Risk Act [electronic resource]: Report to Parliament, 2005.
Electronic monograph in PDF and HTML format.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Issued also in French under title: Loi sur les espèces en péril, rapport au Parlement, 2005.
Issued also in printed form.
ISBN 978-0-662-46149-4
Cat. no.: En1-37/2005-1E-PDF
1. Canada. Species at Risk Act.
2. Endangered species--Law and legislation--Canada.
3. Biodiversity conservation--Law and legislation--Canada.
I. Canada. Parliament.
II. Title.
KE5210.C36 2007
346.7104'69522
C2007-980152-8
Taxon | Species name | Date of listing | Competent Minister |
---|---|---|---|
Extirpated | |||
Reptiles | Pacific Gophersnake | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Reptiles | Pacific Pond Turtle | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Molluscs | Puget Oregonian Snail | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Mosses | Incurved Grizzled Moss | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Endangered | |||
Mammals | Blue Whale, Atlantic population | January 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Mammals | Blue Whale, Pacific population | January 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Mammals | North Atlantic Right Whale | January 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Mammals | Sei Whale, Pacific population | January 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Mammals | Townsend’s Mole | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Mammals | Wolverine, Eastern population | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Birds | Horned Lark strigata subspecies | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Birds | Northern Bobwhite | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Birds | Red Crossbill percna subspecies | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Birds | Western Screech-Owl macfarlanei subspecies | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Amphibians | Small-mouthed Salamander | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Reptiles | Blue Racer | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Reptiles | Prairie Skink | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Reptiles | Spotted Turtle | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Fishes | Benthic Enos Lake Stickleback | January 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Fishes | Limnetic Enos Lake Stickleback | January 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Fishes | Northern Madtom | January 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Fishes | Pugnose Shiner | January 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Fishes | Salish Sucker | January 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Endangered | |||
Molluscs | Kidneyshell | January 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Molluscs | Oregon Forestsnail | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Molluscs | Round Hickorynut | January 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Molluscs | Round Pigtoe | July 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Arthropods | Mormon Metalmark, Southern Mountain population | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Arthropods | Sand-verbena Moth | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Arthropods | Yucca Moth | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Bird’s-foot Violet | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Bog Bird’s-foot Trefoil | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment for Parks Canada Agency |
Vascular plants | Butternut | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Coastal Scouler’s Catchfly | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment for Parks Canada Agency |
Vascular plants | Dwarf Sandwort | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment for Parks Canada Agency |
Vascular plants | Eastern Prairie Fringed-orchid | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Forked Three-awned Grass | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment for Parks Canada Agency |
Vascular plants | Howell’s Triteleia | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment for Parks Canada Agency |
Vascular plants | Kellogg’s Rush | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment for Parks Canada Agency |
Vascular plants | Pink Sand-verbena | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment for Parks Canada Agency |
Vascular plants | Rosy Owl-clover | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment for Parks Canada Agency |
Vascular plants | Slender Collomia | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Small-flowered Lipocarpha | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Small-flowered Sand-verbena | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Small-flowered Tonella | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment for Parks Canada Agency |
Vascular plants | Stoloniferous Pussytoes | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Streambank Lupine | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Lichens | Boreal Felt Lichen, Atlantic population | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Mosses | Margined Streamside Moss | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Endangered | |||
Mosses | Silver Hair Moss | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Mosses | Spoon-leaved Moss | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Threatened | |||
Mammals | Beluga Whale, St. Lawrence Estuary population | July 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Mammals | Grey Fox | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Mammals | Humpback Whale, North Pacific population | January 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Birds | Loggerhead Shrike excubitorides subspecies | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Birds | Pink-footed Shearwater | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Birds | Short-tailed Albatross | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Reptiles | Eastern Ribbonsnake, Atlantic population | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment for Parks Canada Agency |
Reptiles | Great Basin Gophersnake | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Reptiles | Massasauga | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment for Parks Canada Agency |
Reptiles | Spiny Softshell | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Reptiles | Stinkpot | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Reptiles | Western Rattlesnake | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Molluscs | Dromedary Jumping-slug | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment for Parks Canada Agency |
Arthropods | Dakota Skipper | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Arthropods | Mormon Metalmark, Prairie population | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment for Parks Canada Agency |
Arthropods | Poweshiek Skipperling | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Branched Bartonia | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Common Hoptree | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment for Parks Canada Agency |
Vascular plants | Crooked-stem Aster | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Dwarf Hackberry | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment for Parks Canada Agency |
Vascular plants | Gulf of St. Lawrence Aster | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Lakeside Daisy | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment for Parks Canada Agency |
Threatened | |||
Vascular plants | Lemmon’s Holly Fern | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Van Brunt’s Jacob’s-ladder | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Victorin’s Gentian | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Western Spiderwort | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | White Wood Aster | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Wild Hyacinth | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Willowleaf Aster | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Lichens | Flooded Jellyskin | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Special Concern | |||
Mammals | Grey Whale, Eastern North Pacific population | July 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Mammals | Harbour Porpoise, Pacific Ocean population | July 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Mammals | Spotted Bat | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Mammals | Steller Sea Lion | July 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Mammals | Woodland Caribou, Northern Mountain population | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Birds | Cerulean Warbler | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Birds | Long-billed Curlew | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Birds | Western Screech-Owl kennicottii subspecies | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Amphibians | Great Plains Toad | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Amphibians | Northern Leopard Frog, Western Boreal/Prairie populations | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Amphibians | Red-legged Frog | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Amphibians | Spring Salamander | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Amphibians | Western Toad | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Special Concern | |||
Reptiles | Eastern Ribbonsnake, Great Lakes population | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Reptiles | Milksnake | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Reptiles | Northern Map Turtle | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Reptiles | Rubber Boa | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Reptiles | Western Skink | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Fishes | Banded Killifish, Newfoundland population | January 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Molluscs | Rocky Mountain Ridged Mussel | July 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Molluscs | Warty Jumping-slug | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Molluscs | Yellow Lampmussel | July 2005 | Minister of Fisheries and Oceans |
Vascular plants | Athabasca Thrift | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Climbing Prairie Rose | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Eastern Lilaeopsis | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | New Jersey Rush | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Tuberous Indian-plantain | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Vascular plants | Victorin’s Water-hemlock | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Lichens | Boreal Felt Lichen, Boreal population | January 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Mosses | Columbian Carpet Moss | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment |
Mosses | Twisted Oak Moss | July 2005 | Minister of the Environment for Parks Canada Agency |
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