Virginia Poter Director General Canadian Wildlife Service Environment Canada

1. www.ec.gc.ca Country Update: Canada 16th Annual Meeting of the Trilateral Committee for Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation and ManagementOaxaca, MexicoMay 16-20, 2011 Environment Canada Environment Canada Virginia Poter Director General Canadian Wildlife Service Environment Canada Lesley-Anne Howes

2. Canadian Context for Wildlife Management • Canadian jurisdiction for wildlife is shared • Federal Government of Canada: • Environment Canada • Fisheries and Oceans Canada • Parks Canada Agency • Provinces and territories have important responsibilities for wildlife management • Landownership is 48% under provincial jurisdiction • Jurisdiction over most wildlife other than marine mammals, fish and mig birds • Unique legislation addressing fish and wildlife conservation, species at risk, parks, natural areas, forests etc… • Coordination of wildlife management between the provinces, territories and federal government is carried out through the Canadian Wildlife Directors Committee (CWDC) • Co-management boards created under Land Claims Agreements guide wildlife management in much of northern Canada

3. Key Federal Legislation for Wildlife Management I • Species at Risk Act (SARA) • Purpose is threefold: • To prevent indigenous wildlife species, sub species and distinct populations from becoming extinct or extirpated • To provide for the recovery of threatened or endangered species • To encourage the management of other species to prevent them from becoming at risk • Act is national in scope • Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 • Purpose is to implement the Convention by protecting and conserving migratory birds — as populations and individual birds — and their nests. • Provides for the establishment of Migratory Bird Sanctuaries and their management • Canada Wildlife Act • Establishes National Wildlife Areas and Marine Protected Areas and provides for their management • WAPPRIITA • Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act • CITES is implemented in Canada through WAPPRIITA

4. Key Federal Legislation for Wildlife Management II • Fisheries Act • Assigns Fisheries and Oceans Canada the responsibility to conserve and protect fish and fish habitat • Applies to all Canadian fisheries waters • Oceans Act • Confirms Canada’s role with respect to oceans management • Identifies three complimentary initiatives for the conservation and protection of the oceans • Marine Protected Areas program • Integrated Management program • Marine Ecosystem Health program • Canada National Parks Act • Establishes national parks and provides for their management • Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act • To establish a system of marine conservation areas that are representative of the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific Oceans and the Great Lakes in Canada and are of sufficient extent and such configuration as to maintain healthy marine ecosystems • Income Tax Act • Provides income tax incentives to encourage donations of ecologically sensitive lands and empowers ministerial authority over the transfer and management of property donated as ecological gifts

5. Key Roles of Environment Canada With Respect to Wildlife and Biodiversity • Conservation of migratory bird populations under the Migratory Birds Conservation Act, 1994 • Protection of species at risk under the Species at Risk Act* • Conservation, restoration and rehabilitation of habitats • Management of National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries • National implementation of Convention on Biodiversity and CITES • Biodiversity policy and planning *Shared responsibility

6. 2010-11 EC Program Achievements I Species at Risk Act (SARA) • Consultations on the listing of polar bear and recovery strategy for boreal caribou largely completed • Streamlined approach to posting recovery planning documents for future species • SARA Policy Suite close to completion • 5 year parliamentary review of SARA is underway • Ongoing regulatory efforts related to species assessment, listing, etc. • As February 2011, there are 486 species listed under SARA and we posted recovery strategies for 144 species* Migratory Birds • Completion of the Avian Monitoring Review and beginning of implementation of recommendations • Moving from a regulatory approach for Incidental Take of Migratory Birds toward avoidance and Best Management Practices • Concluded first round of Canadian consultations on North American Waterfowl Management Plan Revision process • Completion of nuisance species handbook *Shared Achievements

7. 2010-2011 EC Program Achievements II Wildlife Habitat Conservation • Implemented the Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement under which 3 new National Wildlife Areas (NWAs) in Nunavut were listed in the Canada Gazette in early June 2010 • 6 new NWA sites under the Northwest Territories Protected Areas Strategy have been identified and designation is proceeding • Completed a Policy Framework for Canada's Network of Marine Protected Areas * • Candidate protected areas are identified in the Nunavut Land Use Plan and key habitat sites have been identified to the Nunavut Planning Commission • Developing indicators for protected areas and wetlands • Further refinement of Conservation Areas Reporting and Tracking System • As of January 2011, 856 ecological gifts valued at over $551 million have been donated across Canada, protecting over 137,000 ha of wildlife habitat. *Shared Achievements

8. 2010-2011 EC Program Achievements III Other • Engagement in several high profile Environmental Assessments such as Mackenzie Gas Pipeline, Suffield, Hydro projects, etc.) as well as hundreds of other Environmental Assessments • Ongoing review and issuance of permits under: • Species at Risk Act (approx. 75 yearly), • Migratory Bird Convention Act (thousands a year), • WAPPRIITA/CITES (several thousands a year); and • Canada Wildlife Act. • Development of the new SARA permit system under the e-Permitting Infrastructure Project

9. 2011-2012 - EC Priorities I Species at Risk Act (SARA) • Finalize SARA Policies and develop guidance documents • Implement recovery strategies • Critical habitat protection plans • Section 11 agreements • Monitoring activities from recovery documents • Complete the recovery strategy for caribou • Finalize the Polar Bear Conservation Strategy • 5-year review of SARA • Section 129 SARA requires Parliament to review the Act five years after that section comes into force (June 5, 2003 ) • Discussions with key stakeholders are ongoing • Migratory Birds • Implementation of the results of the monitoring review • Governance: National Committee in place to review and approve existing and new monitoring activities/programs • Recommendation for changes to select monitoring programs – funding pressures to fully implement recommendations • Overhaul of the Migratory Bird Regulations • Nuisance Species: • Permitting Policy (underway) • (New) Outreach capacity targeting decision makers

10. 2011-2012 - EC Priorities II Wildlife Habitat Conservation • Progress on development of management plans for NWAs • Operational review – implementation and update to review to understand priority actions • Landscape-level planning/analysis • NWT Protected Areas strategy – moving forward with designation of new sites • Marine Conservation Areas - Scott Islands • EcoGifts and funding programs (HSP, AFSAR, IRF) – ongoing delivery of programs including supporting objectives of SAR and MB programs • Habitat Joint Ventures - continuing on-the-ground and policy actions in support of wetland and waterfowl objectives contained in the latest implementation plans

11. 2011-2012 - EC Priorities III Other • Respond/implement decisions from CITES CoP for non-SAR species including Polar Bear • Continue development of polar bear conservation strategy • Support to Polar Bear research • Issue CITES permits • Continue to contribute to environmental assessments

12. Canadian Wildlife Directors’ Committee (CWDC) • CWDC is comprised of federal, provincial, territorial wildlife directors and provides: • Leadership of national wildlife policy/program development and coordination • Advice to the Deputy Ministers and Ministers’ Councils • A collegial framework for collaboration of federal, provincial and territorial wildlife directors.

13. 2010-2011 – CWDC Achievements • Provided options to strengthen the oversight and management of the Ministers’ councils for species at risk and wildlife • Reviewed the COSEWIC annual report for submission to Ministers • Supported implementation of the Invasive Alien Species Partnership Program and program funding renewal • Completed the jurisdictional gap analysis to strengthen National Wildlife Disease Strategy implementation • Developed a proposed new governance model for the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre • Prepared a Canadian position report for the Joint Management Committee (JMC) meeting of Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards

14. 2011-2012 – Key CWDC Priorities I Species at Risk (SAR) • Streamline federal and provincial/territorial species at risk consultative processes • Guide preparation for General Status of Wildlife Report • Coordinate implementation of an approach to recovery planning and delivery that fulfills SARA and provincial/territorial legislation • Continue consultations on national recovery strategy and science-based refinement of range definition for boreal caribou Population Management • Collaborate on management of migratory birds, with attention to incidental take, population/habitat assessment and monitoring and urban/agricultural damage • Complete Bird Conservation Plans • Provide leadership to the National Wildlife Disease Strategy and seek approval/guidance from Deputy Ministers • Implement Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards • Continue to liaise with Health Canada for steamlined access to veterinary drugs for wildlife management and research

15. 2011-2012 – CWDC Priorities II Habitat Management • Convene a habitat subcommittee to oversee habitat-related issues and progress and expect to implement a work plan by November 2011 • Develop CWDC statement in support of the concept of ecological goods and services in habitat conservation Overarching Policies and Outcomes • Strengthen participation in key international forums such as the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies • All of the above is in addition to work underway in all jurisdictions for the management of wildlife and habitats

16. Summary • Wildlife management is shared in Canada • Canada’s wildlife is managed through a variety of tools (e.g. legislation, stewardship) • New threats are arising, creating new priorities, and we need to be able to adapt and respond