What’s the issue?
BC and Alberta are the only two Canadian Provinces who do not have stand alone laws to protect endangered species. It has been estimated that more than 1,900 species and subspecies are at risk in the province as they face increasing pressure from factors such as urban sprawl, industrial and agricultural development, climate change, exposure to toxic substances, and competition from invasive species.
Who is impacted by this issue?
Wildlife, plants, ecosystems, present and future generations are all impacted by this issue. The struggle to survive is always a challenge for any wild species however, several factors are increasing this pressure and losing our wildlife will likely have many unforeseen consequences. Besides the intrinsic value wild organisms hold, endangered species help us to indicate the health of our ecosystems that contribute environmental goods and services to our economy and British Columbians must recognize the economic significance of sustaining healthy and diverse populations of wildlife and plants. Some services healthy ecosystems provide include “clean air and water, crop pollination, water retention and flood control, soil formation and waste assimilation.” These are all services our economy depends on (See the UN’s Millenium Ecosystem Assessment for more in depth information)
What is the ideal outcome or state for this issue?
Species at Risk legislation would ideally:
• Be science based
• Identify, protect and recover species at risk across BC.
• Protect and recover species by protecting their habitat.
• Be enforced and adequately funded
• Have public accountability and transparency
What role is the BC government currently playing?
Currently the Ministry of Environment is responsible for leading recovery processes for provincially managed species at risk. Provincial red- and blue-listed species and federal SARA-listed species warrant special consideration in environmental assessments and mitigation design.
The BC Wildlife Act, BC Forest and Range Practices Act, and the Canada-BC Agreement on Species at Risk are the 3 legislative tools currently used in dealing with endangered species, none of which are particularly strong or have adequate resources.
Andrew Weaver reintroduced his Private Member’s Bill, the Endangered Species Act on 6 Nov 2017.
What role should the BC government play?
Stand alone provincial legislation coupled with robust resource support should be enacted in order to protect BC’s species at risk.
What Next?
Contact your local MLA to see what they are doing to protect BC’s species at risk.
