Legislation in Canada: Federal Examples of Designating Terrestrial Endangered Species

   Sheldon and Justin     

       In previous weeks, we have examined both how the province of Newfoundland and Labrador designates terrestrial species as endangered, as well as some provincial examples, including the wolverine. But the question remains, how does this province stand in terms legislation of terrestrial endangered species compared to the national scale? Is the efficacy of this provincial listing process where it should be compared to what goes on in the rest of Canada? We will examine this by drawing attention to a few examples of terrestrial species that have been listed as endangered in Canada. One of these species is the Woodland Caribou, where its Atlantic-Gaspésie population of less than 200 adult caribou is listed as endangered by COSEWIC¹. This population is limited to the Parc de la Gaspésie, found on the part of Québec known as the Gaspé peninsula, making them the only group of caribou in the country that are more south than the St. Lawrence River ². It has been listed due to this already low population being susceptible to losses by habitat destruction and predation¹, which could potentially lead to its extirpation from the area. This marked population decline began in the 1950s, where the population of approximately 1000 decreased by half, reaching a low in the 1970s of only 200 caribou². They were subsequently listed as Threatened by COSEWIC in 1984, and re-designated as Endangered in 2000¹, where soon afterwards the population was considered to be potentially declining ².  In a display of responsibility and appropriate action, COSEWIC increased the severity of this population's status, and designated it as endangered in Canada, when the numbers declined such that extinction became a real risk to this unique animal.

                              Figure 1: An Atlantic-Gaspésie caribou. Retrieved from Parc National de la Gaspésie⁶

Figure 2: Location of the Parc de la Gaspésie. Image property of SEPAQ/Parc National de la Gaspésie⁵

         Similarly, Ord’s Kangaroo Rat is another terrestrial animal that has been designated as endangered in Canada, due in part to the continual loss of their preferred sandy habitat. This rodent is found only in sand hills of southwestern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta, and is estimated to have a yearly low population of 545-1040, with their population increasing in the            
productive summer season and decreasing in the difficult winter months³. Much like the Quebecois population of Woodland Caribou, Ord’s Kangaroo Rat was initially designated as a species of Special Concern in 1995, before it was re-examined and subsequently listed as Endangered in 2006⁴.

Figure 3: Ord's Kangaroo Rat. Photo by Andy Teucher⁷

   As illustrated through these examples, the legislation of endangered species in Canada is a dynamic process that requires vigilance, such that if a species shows signs that the persistence of its population is at peril, it is sometimes appropriate to re-designate it as Endangered in order to attract the necessary attention and conservational action to ensure the preservation of that species.

    A couple weeks ago, we examined how the province of Newfoundland and Labrador goes about its legislation of endangered terrestrial species, but after seeing which species have been listed as endangered, what is the protocol and procedure when designating endangered species in the country as a whole? An interesting question, to be addressed next week!

For information on other endangered terrestrial species in Canada, please visit:

http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/sar/index/default_e.cfm?stype=species&lng=e&index=1&cosid=&common=&scientific=&population=&taxid=6&locid=0&desid=3&schid=0&desid2=0&

References:

¹ Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. 2002. Mammals (terrestrial): caribou, woodland. Retrieved on March 11th, 2012 at http://www.cosewic.gc.ca/eng/sct1/searchdetail_e.cfm?id=144&StartRow=1&boxStatus=3&boxTaxonomic=6,7&location=All&change=All&board=All&commonName=&scienceName=&returnFlag=0&Page=1

 ²Species at Risk Public Registry. 2010. Species profile: woodland caribou atlantic-gaspésie population. Retrieved on March 11^th, 2012 at http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/species/speciesDetails_e.cfm?sid=144

³Species at Risk Public Registry. 2010. Species profile: ord’s kangaroo rat. Retrieved on March 11^th, 2012 at http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/sp ecies/speciesDetails_e.cfm?sid=164



⁴ Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. 2002. Mammals (terrestrial): kangaroo rat, ord’s. Retrieved on March 11^th, 2012 at http://www.cosewic.gc.ca/eng/sct1/searchdetail_e.cfm?id=164&StartRow=1&boxStatus=3&boxTaxonomic=6,7&location=All&change=All&board=All&commonName=&scienceName=&returnFlag=0&Page=1

⁵ Gourbilière, C. 2007. Caribou de la gaspésie. Encyclopédie du Patrimoine Culturel de L’Amérique Française.  Retrieved on March 12^th, 2012 at http://www.ameriquefrancaise.org/fr/article-104/Caribou_de_la_Gaspésie.html

⁶Réseau Sépac. 2012. La précarité du caribou de la gaspésie. Retrieved on March 12^th, 2012 at http://www.sepaq.com/pq/gas/conserver/

⁷Schmidt, R. Species spotlight: ord’s kangaroo rat. Nature Canada. Retrieved on March 13^th, 2012 at http://www.naturecanada.ca/endangered_know_our_species_krats.asp