Five previous chairs of a committee advising the federal government on endangered wildlife have jointly penned an open letter voicing apprehensions about proposed amendments to the Species At Risk Act. They express fears that these changes could result in the deliberate extinction of endangered species in Canada. The legislation currently protects over 600 species, but the alterations under review could nullify the act and its safeguarding provisions, as per a recent press release by the scientists.
These scientists, who formerly chaired the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), dispatched the letter to the federal government last month. COSEWIC is an independent panel that evaluates species facing extinction risks and offers recommendations for their inclusion under the endangered species law.
The scientists opted to make their concerns public to prevent Canadians from inadvertently contributing to the extinction of Canadian wildlife species. Their open letter coincides with the Carney government’s contemplation of broad environmental regulation modifications, including those pertaining to the Species At Risk Act, which are anticipated to facilitate expedited approval and implementation of major projects.
In May, two federal discussion papers proposed the greenlighting of major projects prior to review and exempting specific projects from the “jeopardy test” mandated by law if they are deemed to serve the national interest. According to David Green, a biologist and professor emeritus at McGill University and one of the former COSEWIC chairs involved in the letter, these changes are excessive and unnecessary.
The jeopardy tests presently prevent Ottawa from sanctioning projects that could harm species listed under the act and their crucial habitats if such actions imperil their survival. Green emphasizes the importance of these jeopardy tests in safeguarding endangered species, referring to them as the final safety net for critically endangered entities.
Moreover, the proposed alterations would grant Carney and his cabinet the authority to establish “federal economic zones,” enabling them to pre-approve industrial development. They would also empower the cabinet to greenlight pipelines before finalizing a route and exempt them from federal impact assessments.
The letter highlights the potential consequences of a new West Coast oil pipeline, currently under consideration as a project of national interest. The pipeline’s construction, carrying approximately one million barrels of crude oil daily over about 1,250 kilometers, poses a significant threat to multiple species protected under the act, including the southern resident killer whale and the Chinook salmon, both of which inhabit the Salish Sea.
The scientists caution against the adverse impacts of the proposed changes, emphasizing the irreversible consequences of species elimination. They stress the need for the government to reconsider its stance and prioritize species conservation and recovery efforts.