The Species at Risk Act

October 2012

Virginia Poter

Director General Canadian Wildlife Service

Environment Canada

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The Act

• Purpose is threefold:

– To prevent wildlife species from being extirpated or becoming

extinct,

– To provide for the recovery of extirpated, endangered or

threatened species, and

– To manage species of special concern to prevent them from

becoming endangered or threatened.

• Proclaimed in 2002, came fully into force in 2004.

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Under SARA Accountability Is

Shared… • Environment Canada:

– administers the Act, including making recommendations to Cabinet or Governor in Council.

– responsible for all migratory birds under the Migratory Birds Convention Act.

– implements the Act for terrestrial species except for individuals found on lands administered by Parks Canada.

• Parks Canada: – responsible for individuals as they occur on lands administered by Parks

Canada.

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada: – responsible for aquatic species.

All three departments enforce the Act within their own jurisdiction.

• Provinces and territories are key partners. – responsible for terrestrial species on provincial Crown and private lands.

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SARA Process

• Federal approach to species at risk conservation consists of a cycle of five inter-dependent elements: assessment; protection; recovery planning; implementation; and monitoring and evaluation.

Monitoring and

Evaluation

Assessment

ProtectionRecovery

Planning

Implementation SPECIES AT RISK

CONSERVATION

Monitoring and

Evaluation

Assessment

ProtectionRecovery

Planning

Implementation SPECIES AT RISK

CONSERVATION

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Species Assessment

• Intent:

– Assess the biological risk of extinction of species.

• Process:

– Establishment of an independent committee of experts (Committee on the

Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada – COSEWIC) which is appointed by

the Minister of Environment.

▪ Uses quantitative criteria adapted from the World Conservation Union (IUCN).

▪ Uses best biological, Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge and community knowledge.

▪ Species classified as one of: special concern, threatened, endangered, extirpated,

extinct, not at risk, or data deficient.

• Results/outcome:

Since the Act came into force, 890 species have been assessed by COSEWIC

and 650 species have been determined to be ‘at risk’.

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Protection: Listing of Species at

Risk under SARA (Schedule 1)

• Intent:

– To invoke measures to protect listed wildlife species.

• Process:

– COSEWIC assessment forwarded to Minister provides the status, reasons for designation and status report.

– Within 90 days Minister responds indicating how he intends to proceed and provides timelines for action.

– Following the Minister’s response, Governor in Council formally acknowledges receipt of the assessments conducted by COSEWIC.

– GiC decision (to list, not list or refer back to COSEWIC), based on the Minister’s recommendation, must be made within 9 months of GiC receipt of the assessment.

– Different types of consultations (i.e. Canada Gazette, meetings) are conducted at various steps in the process.

• Results/outcome:

510 species are currently listed on Schedule 1.

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Protection: Critical Habitat (CH)

• Intent: – Utilizing a broad range of protection tools, protect CH (the habitat necessary for

survival or recovery) against the identified Activities Likely to Destroy CH.

• Process: – Federal Protected Areas: a description of CH is published in Canada Gazette.

– Other Federal Lands: a protection statement or a ministerial order must be

published.

– Private or Provincial/Territorial Crown Lands: SARA provides for GOC to invoke

prohibitions on private, provincial/territorial Crown lands if province/territory isn’t

effectively protecting. To date the provision hasn’t been used.

• Results/outcome:

22 CH Descriptions have been published in the Canada Gazette.

5 CH Protection Statements have been published in the Canada Gazette.

1 Ministerial Order to protect CH for Killer Whale (2 populations).

No GIC orders to protect CH on private or provincial Crown land.

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Recovery Planning: For Threatened,

Endangered or Extirpated Species

• Intent: – Develop a plan to arrest or reverse the decline of species, and remove or

reduce threats to improve the likelihood of persistence of the species in the wild.

• Process: – First determine population and distribution objectives in recovery strategies, and

then develop recovery measures in action plans.

– Identify critical habitat in the recovery strategy to the extent possible.

– Establish measures to protect the critical habitat.

– Involves extensive collaboration with partners and stakeholders.

– Can be single species, multi-species or ecosystem based.

– Recovery strategies and action plans are published in the SAR Public Registry.

• Results/outcome:

Recovery strategies dealing with 200 species have been posted (includes

documents posted as proposed and final).

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Recovery Implementation

• Intent:

– Through implementation of recovery and management actions improve the

status of species at risk and, where possible, recover species.

• Process:

– Establish action plans for species at risk; however, this does not mean that the

competent minister is responsible for taking/implementing the actions; that

responsibility remains with the relevant jurisdiction.

– Federal action includes the Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) and Aboriginal

Fund for Species at Risk (AFSAR) Program that specifically target activities for

species at risk, as well as other conservation programs such as the Natural

Areas Conservation Program (NACP) and EcoGifts Program and the

establishment of protected areas.

• Results/outcome: HSP has benefitted over 400 species at risk and has contributed to the

conservation of 167,000 ha of habitat.

NACP has benefitted 126 species at risk and has conserved over 138,000 ha.

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Monitoring & Evaluation

• Intent:

– Determine the effectiveness of protection and recovery measures, measure progress towards achieving recovery or management goals and objectives, and detect changes in the status of a species.

– Use results to inform decisions and actions at each of the different stages in the cycle.

• Process:

– Examine what has been done to date to determine whether protection and recovery measures have contributed to abate threats and improve species status.

– Use various mechanisms to report on progress and implementation such as the General status of wildlife species Report every 5 yrs (section 128).

– Implement a Results-based Management and Accountability Framework (RMAF) and a Risk-based Audit Framework (RBAF) to define expected results for SARA and identify performance and risk indicators.

• Results/outcome:

Recovery or management goals and objectives or protection measures may be adjusted or adapted to reflect new conditions or new information.