1997 Canadian Council of Wildlife Ministers Meeting
NEWS RELEASE – Canada’s Wildlife Ministers Renew Commitment to Protecting Endangered Species
St. John's, Newfoundland – October 1, 1997 -- Canada's ministers responsible for wildlife today agreed that high priority must be accorded to the protection of wildlife species at risk, by focusing on recovery efforts. The Canadian Council of Wildlife Ministers (CCWM) released the seventh report of the committee on the Recovery of Nationally Endangered Wildlife (RENEW), highlighting partnership, on-the-ground recovery efforts, and some success stories.
The RENEW Report provides information on the forty species that are currently the priority of government efforts, including participants, sources of funding, and updates on the status of specific efforts.
Federal Environment Minister Christine Stewart noted "The RENEW Report highlights some of the successes we have achieved through partnership. The discovery of a new population of Blanding's turtle in Nova Scotia, for example, or the delisting of the Baird's sparrow in the prairies, prove that we can do the job when we work together. But the report also underscores that more needs to be done." An example of this is the effort, by the federal and Newfoundland governments, together with other partners, to recover the Newfoundland Pine Marten. The marten is an endangered species, unique to the forests of Newfoundland.
Kevin Aylward, Newfoundland's Minister of Forest Resources and Agrifoods and current chair of the WMCC, added "By reaffirming our agreement in principle to the Accord, we are acknowledging that protecting endangered species is a critical concern of all governments and stakeholders."
The wildlife ministers agreed to develop a detailed workplan to implement the Accord. They also agreed to review their progress in six months' time.
Minister Stewart added "We have made real progress here today. Canadians care deeply about protecting endangered species and their habitat and about the required recovery work. As part of its commitments, the federal government will introduce effective endangered species legislation as soon as possible."
Last year, the ministers agreed in principle to the National Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk in Canada. Under the Accord, all jurisdictions agreed to review existing legislation and programs, and where necessary, to develop complementary ones to protect species throughout Canada.
The Ministers reviewed the key elements of the European Union (EU) agreement to permit the continued import of wild furs into the EU. They discussed the implementation strategy, including the role of various groups, including the two orders of government, aboriginal groups and the Fur Institute of Canada. They also discussed recently introduced federal regulations regarding the use of non-toxic shot for waterfowl hunting, and waterfowl conservation programs.
In preparation for the next millennium and to define the future direction of wildlife conservation in Canada, the Ministers agreed to conduct a review of the Wildlife Policy for Canada and discussed the possibility of a National Wildlife Conference in the year 2000.
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ENDANGERED SPECIES PROGRAM
RENEW Report No. 7
Recovery of National Endangered Wildlife (RENEW) was established by the Wildlife Minister's Council of Canada in 1988 as a co-operative response to a growing number of endangered species in Canada. The committee consists of representatives of federal, provincial and territorial governments and three non-government wildlife organisations -- the Canadian Nature Federation (CNF), the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) and World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF). RENEW members each remain responsible for management of species in their own jurisdiction. RENEW's mandate focuses primarily on the protection and recovery of terrestrial vertebrates (mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians) but can also expand to include plants, fish, marine mammals and insects.
RENEW's activities stem from the work of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), a body of government, academic and non-government experts that designates species at risk as extinct, extirpated, endangered, threatened or vulnerable. The RENEW report provides the public with detailed information on Canadian endangered species recovery efforts by outlining who is involved, where funding originates and updating the status of specific efforts. It outlines where progress is being made and where more attention is needed.
While there is much success contained in this report, there is also clear evidence that much more needs to be done. There are currently 291 species listed as at risk in Canada. This includes 10 extinct species that are gone forever, 13 that are extirpated (no longer existing in the wild in Canada), 67 endangered, 70 threatened and 131 that are vulnerable.
The report released on October 1, provides information on the forty species that are currently the focus of RENEW efforts. Recovery plans have been approved for fourteen of these species while another fifteen plans are in draft form.
Recovery efforts from coast to coast to coast are highlighted in the report, for example:
- the discovery of a new population of Blanding's turtle in Nova Scotia;
- signs of a stable or increasing population of woodland caribou in the Gaspé peninsula;
- tremendous conservation efforts for the spiny softshell turtle in southern Ontario;
- delisting of the Baird's sparrow in the Prairies;
- population increases for the prairie population of piping plover and the whooping crane in the Northwest Territories.
In 1996-97, resources spent by a variety of contributors were in excess of $3.7 million, an increase of over $500,000 from the previous year. While 57 per cent of funding comes from governments, the remainder comes from the private sector -- 33 per cent from companies, 8 per cent from non-government and private donations and 2 per cent from universities.
For further information, please call:
Simon Nadeau
Canadian Wildlife Service
Environment Canada
(819) 953-0242