In the second year of my program, I had the pleasure of discovering the Fletcher Wildlife Garden. The quaint park, which contains examples of different ecosystems such as wetlands, a model garden, and a butterfly meadow to preserve several species of butterfly that are endangered, is located behind the Hartwell Locks.
Since that initial experience, I’ve returned several times just to clear my head and walk the gardens.
Which is why when interim environment commissioner Neil Maxwell’s report on the status of national biodiversity management came out last week, I was disappointed the report found the Canadian government was not doing enough to protect endangered species.
In total, the report found that over 146 species protected by the Species at Risk Act had no recovery strategy planned, and of the 97 that were mandated by the government’s own laws, only seven were in place. Yet this report was only scarcely registered by most parties.
The report garnered only a press release and two questions during Question Period by the NDP, who were more focused on scoring political points to the detriment of the Conservatives.
For the Conservatives, environment minister Leona Aglukkaq issued a press release that seemed to ignore most of the report’s recommendations and focus only on the report’s positive comments. This report didn’t even merit any mention by the Liberal Party.
Perhaps the only party that seemed to dedicate any amount of effort towards the report was the Green Party, but most media sources didn’t even pick up on this.
The protection of these endangered species, including the mountain caribou and various breeds of sturgeon in Alberta and Ontario, are essential to the sustained life of their respective ecosystems.
For example, mountain caribou, whose habitat range stretches from northern British Columbia all the way to northern Ontario, play a critical role in keeping local plant populations in check and serving as an important food source for various predators, including black bears and grey wolves.
The loss of this species would have tremendous ecosystem impacts as plant populations ballooned, while predator populations declined.
For those who aren’t convinced, these species provide a number of services to their respective habitats that have direct economic impacts for Canadians. In the report, Maxwell states that biodiversity is a key contributor in various medicinal and agricultural products.
In 2011 alone, Natural Resources Canada stated that forestry products such as wood, timber, honey, and medicinal ingredients accounted for $23.7 billion in economic activity, or two per cent of the Canadian GDP, while Canadian national parks generated nearly $3 billion in economic activity, and provided 42,000 jobs to Canadians.
Canada’s flora and fauna also provide numerous indeterminate economic benefits such as air and water quality moderation.
Although I am far from their biggest fan, I think it should be important to note some of the Conservative government’s actions, such as their emergency response plan announced in September 2013 to protect the sage grouse, an endangered species of bird found in Western Canada.
However, more needs to be done to protect species at risk, especially those whose habitats cross major resource development projects such as Enbridge Inc.’s proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, or the proposed Ring of Fire in northern Ontario.
Our biodiversity is an issue that affects everyone, regardless of their political affiliation, and using this issue to score cheap political points, or simply ignoring it altogether, will not fix the problem.
The Conservative government needs to work with the opposition parties more closely to create recovery plans for these species. Similarly, the NDP, Liberal, and Green Parties need to come in with an open mind and be constructive with their advice towards the government.
This is not some luxury that we can afford to lose, but a vital component to both the continued survival of Canadians and the Canadian ecosystem.
