Government of Canada takes steps to protect Aquatic Species at Risk

Ottawa, Ontario - Canada’s natural environment and wildlife are at the core of our national identity. Biodiversity is the cornerstone of our way of life - the health of the natural environment supports our culture, our well-being and our economy. Unfortunately, some of the species in our waters, rivers, lakes and estuaries are at risk and need our collective help to ensure their survival for future generations. We must take urgent, collective action to protect them.

 

That’s why the Government of Canada is committed to reversing the decline of Canada’s wildlife and biodiversity and takes the protection of species at risk seriously.

 

The Government of Canada works with all Canadians to protect endangered or threatened species and their habitat under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced that the Government of Canada has proposed, consistent with scientific advice, that 32 aquatic species be added to or reclassified under SARA. These species include 23 freshwater fishes and nine molluscs.   

 

As well, the Minister proposed the Shortfin Mako shark, designated as Special Concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), for reconsideration based on information that was not available at the time COSEWIC assessed its status.

 

The status of several species has improved and the Government of Canada is proposing to reclassify these species to a lower risk category. These species are: Pugnose Shiner, Salish Sucker, Striped Bass (St. Lawrence River), Mapleleaf (Saskatchewan-Nelson Rivers), Mapleleaf (Great Lakes-Upper St. Lawrence), Rainbow, and Eastern Pondmussel. Unfortunately, several other species have been found in worse condition, or were newly identified as being at risk.

 

The Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change will consider comments and any additional information received. Decisions to protect species under SARA are based on many considerations including assessments by COSEWIC and other scientific advice, consultations with Canadians, Indigenous Peoples and Communities, and industry and an evaluation of the potential socio-economic impacts on communities.

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Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.