The purpose of the Canadian Endangered Species Protection Act is to prevent Canadian
Wildlife from becoming extirpated or extinct, and to provide recovery plans for those animals who
are extirpated, endangered or threatened as a result of human activities. The act applies to
Canadian indigenous species, sub-species, and geographically distinct populations of wildlife at
risk. The act respects any and all Aboriginal and treaty rights and the authority of other federal
ministers and provincial governments. It establishes a Canadian Endangered Species
Conservation Council to provide overall guidance to national endangered species programs and to
assure national coordination. It establishes COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered
Wildlife in Canada) to identify species at risk and threatening factors through available scientific
and traditional ecological information. The Governor in Council is then able to make the list of
Wildlife Species at Risk based on COSEWIC’s information. When a species gets listed, it is
protected, as well as its residence and nests. Emergency Action may also be taken, including
habitat protection. A mandatory recovery plan must then be established to protect the species.
The penalties for are stiff for those who brake a law concerning endangered species. This act also
establishes the right for the public to take civil action and to request investigations into the
matters of endangered species.
Some examples of the punishments:
“in the case of a corporation, to a fine not exceeding $1,000,000, and in the case of any
other person, to a fine not exceeding $250,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five
years, or to both.”
For more detailed information on the Canadian Endangered Species Protection Act, contact the
government home page, and look under Bill C-65, or click here.