Indicators:

• Species at risk population trends (i.e. trends in population sizes of species at risk compared to federal recovery strategy objectives)

• Changes in wildlife species disappearance risks

• Trends in the general status of wild species

• Canadian species index

About the Target

Healthy wild species populations and habitats are important parts of biodiversity. Canada is home to a unique variety of plants and animals that are part of our natural and cultural heritage.

There are more than 80,000 known species in Canada and each plays a key role in maintaining the overall health of our ecosystems. However, the well-being of some of these species is under threat. Canada has over 600 species that are listed under federal law as “at risk”, largely due to habitat loss and degradation, competition from invasive alien species, and environmental changes resulting from climate change and pollution.[i] Risks of species loss extends to the domesticated and undomesticated plants, animals and microorganisms that contribute to food and agriculture.[ii]

Management of species at risk in Canada is a shared responsibility between federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments.

Canada Target 2 is linked with the following global Aichi target under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020:

• Aichi Target 12 - By 2020 the extinction of known threatened species has been prevented and their conservation status, particularly of those most in decline, has been improved and sustained.

[i] Environment and Climate Change Canada (2021) Species at Risk Act: Annual Report to Parliament 2020.

[ii] Jones, S.K. et al. (2021) ‘Agrobiodiversity Index scores show agrobiodiversity is underutilized in national food systems’, Nature Food, 2(9), pp. 712–723. Doi: 10.1038/s43016-021-00344-3.

2020 Final Assessment

Assessments were carried out on whether population and distribution trends of species at risk are consistent with the recovery or management objectives. Less than half of species at risk that were evaluated show progress in recovery. Of the 141 species for which trends could be determined as of May 2021, 58 (41%) show progress toward their population and distribution objectives.[i] This estimate has not changed since 2018.[ii] Also, as of May 2021, of the 514 wildlife species at risk that have been reassessed, and where sufficient data are available to determine if there is a change in status, 89 wildlife species (17%) are now in a higher risk category, 96 wildlife species (19%) are now in a lower risk category and the remaining 329 (64%) wildlife species show no change in status.[iii] The Wild Species 2020 report considers 50,534 species in 46 species groups, which represent, at the time of reporting, the inclusion of more than half of Canada’s species. Of the 24,483 native species with a NatureServe numerical rank, 19,600 species (80%) are ranked as secure or apparently secure, 4,883 species (20%) are at some risk of extirpation (ranked as vulnerable, imperiled or critically imperiled), and 135 species are presumed extirpated or possibly extirpated (no longer found in Canada). Between 2015 and 2020, 8,107 species had a change in their conservation status rank at the national level, including 1,199 species that have an increased level of extinction risk and 1,186 species that have a reduced level of extinction risk. [iv]

Indicators are not showing improvement and the target has not been met. Examples of some progress in conservation and recovery activities are described below (see Contributing Actions) but more comprehensive and coordinated effort is needed.

Recovery and conservation activities include identifying and protecting habitat that species depend on, and managing or restricting activities that degrade or destroy habitat. Work needs to continue or accelerate in these areas in conjunction with aligned efforts to improve environmental sustainability.

[i] Environment and Climate Change Canada (2022) Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators: Species at risk population trends. Consulted on February 17, 2022.

[ii] Environment and Climate Change Canada (2019) Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators: Species at risk population trends.

[iii] Environment and Climate Change Canada (2022) Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators: Changes in the status of wildlife species at risk. Consulted on February 17, 2022.

[iv] Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council. 2022. Wild Species 2020: The General Status of

Species in Canada. National General Status Working Group: 172 pp.

Contributing Actions

As of 2020, Canada continues to implement Canada’s Nature Legacy through cooperative action on priority places, species, sectors, and threats. This reflects how species at risk conservation has shifted from a single-species approach, to one that focuses on collaborative, multiple-species, and ecosystems approaches.[i]

Environment and Climate Change Canada has made progress as it implements its Pan-Canadian approach to transforming Species at Risk conservation in Canada[ii], including through:

• Stewardship-based conservation planning and actions implemented for the six priority species[1];

• Thirteen conservation agreements with provinces, territories, and Indigenous peoples under negotiation or finalized for three species (Boreal and Southern Mountain Caribou and Wood Bison);

• Across eleven priority places, partners and stakeholders were engaged, governance frameworks were established, multi-species and ecosystem-based conservation action planning was advanced, and early actions were implemented; and,

• For priority sectors, conservation action planning is underway (e.g., with the agricultural sector) or has been initiated (e.g., with the forest and urban development sectors).

As of 2020, the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk, administered by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, has continued to fund over 56 projects. These projects target over 70 populations of aquatic species at risk in nine priority freshwater places across Canada, and also more than 60 populations of aquatic species at risk affected by 2 marine threats—fishing interactions (entanglements and bycatch of aquatic species at risk), and physical and acoustic disturbance (such as vessel collisions and marine noise). Other stewardship funds supporting aquatic species at risk are the Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) and the Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk.

The protection of species at risk in Canada depends on an effective collaboration with Indigenous peoples and organizations. The Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk (AFSAR) was established in 2004 and supports the development of Indigenous capacity to participate actively in the implementation of the Species at Risk Act (SARA). The Act recognizes the important role that Indigenous peoples play in wildlife conservation and the need to consider Indigenous knowledge in the assessment of which species may be at risk, as well as in the development and implementation of protection and recovery measures.  

Environment and Climate Change Canada administers AFSAR funding that supports terrestrial stewardship projects and Fisheries and Oceans Canada is responsible for administering AFSAR aquatic stewardship projects.

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) continues to play a key role in assessing the conservation status of species at risk. The Committee is an independent advisory panel to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change that meets twice a year to assess the status of wildlife species at risk of extinction. Members are wildlife biology experts from academia, government, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector responsible for designating wildlife species in danger of disappearing from Canada.

More than 230 species at risk occur on lands and waters administered by Parks Canada, which is about 40% of all listed species in Canada. All six priority species occur on lands administered by Parks Canada. Parks Canada has developed 23 site-based, multi-Species Action Plans that identify recovery actions for over 250 species of conservation concern (including over 202 SARA-listed species) occurring in 42 places administered by Parks Canada. These action plans identify short-term site-based population and distribution objectives and identify a variety of measures that are required to achieve those objectives.

[1] Boreal Caribou, Southern Mountain Caribou, Peary Caribou, Barren-ground Caribou, Greater Sage-Grouse and Wood Bison

[i] Environment and Climate Change Canada (2021) Progress Report on the 2019-2022 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

[ii] Environment and Climate Change Canada (2021) Progress Report on the 2019-2022 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.