How to rescue Ontario’s Endangered Species Act: a biologist’s perspective

Abstract

Species around the world are facing an unprecedented threat of extinction from a variety of stressors. Habitat loss has been identified as the single greatest threat to species at risk, coupled with pollution, over-exploitation, disease, invasive species and climate change. 1 Nearly one quarter of the world's mammals, one-third of the world's amphibian species and one in eight birds are considered globally threatened or extinct. 2 In Ontario, 215 species or species populations are listed under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA) as endangered, threatened, special concern or extirpated, and the province has many more imperiled species that have not had the benefit of being assessed and listed under the Act. 3 This dramatic decline in biodiversity not only threatens the functioning of the ecosystems that we depend on for our air, water and food, but it also reduces the resilience of these ecosystems to environmental change. Protecting at-risk species is not just a matter of conserving biodiversity, it is also about preserving the important personal connections that Ontarians have to our natural heritage, including the snapping turtles, monarch butterflies, bald eagles and woodland caribou that are part of our collective ecological community. The challenges we face in protecting and recovering species at risk are not insurmountable, but immediate, effective and sustained action is required.

Recent amendments to the Endangered Species Act and an uncertain future for species at risk: a case study of Ontario’s Niagara Region

“…Ministry of Environment and Conservation Parks (MECP) will have the power to suspend newly added species at risk from receiving protections for up to five years • Species at risk may not receive automatic protection if they are listed as endangered or threatened (see Bell 2019;Wood Bull Blog 2019) These amendments suggest the government is prioritizing economic gains while neglecting the longterm environmental and social consequences of minimizing conservation efforts (Bergman et al 2020;Rutledge 2020). These changes could potentially pose serious threats to SAR in Ontario for several reasons.…”

“…These changes could potentially pose serious threats to SAR in Ontario for several reasons. First, it changes the permit and agreement process for development projects that impact habitat and SAR (Wood Bull Blog 2019; Bergman et al 2020). The responsible Minister can now issue a permit to an individual for an activity that would have been prohibited if that individual agrees to pay a species conservation fee.…”

“…To date, only one study has examined the More Homes, More Choice Act amendments in detail. Bergman et al (2020) published an Editorial in FACETS that outlined the main concerns that scientists have about the amendments. These include (i) potential dilution of COSSARO membership, (ii) lower threat category based on geographic range, (iii) increased delays in protection, (iv) landscape agreements that allow broadscale harm to SAR, and (v) the SAR Conservation Trust.…”

Spatial Prioritization of Cost-Efficient Habitat Protection for Species at Risk in Ontario

“…The protection afforded by SARA only applies on federal land, leaving the protection of species outside of federal land largely up to the provinces (Mooers et al, 2010). Six of the 10 provinces and one of the three territories have their own species at risk laws (Bergman et al, 2020;Olive, 2014). Ontario passed its own legislation, the Endangered Species Act (ESA), in 2007 (Endangered Species Act, 2007).…”

“…Similar to federal legislation, the Ontario ESA bases listing decisions on a scientific assessment of a species conducted by an independent group of experts, the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO) (COSSARO, 2021). Although the initial legislation provided automatic protection to listed species and their habitats, it has since been weakened to delay protections (Bergman et al, 2020).…”