- Published: December 16, 2021
- Updated: December 16, 2021
- Level: Undergraduate
- Language: English
- Downloads: 45
The rich biodiversity on earth has been reducing at an alarming rate and some species have become extinct in the recent past mainly because of unsustainable human activities. In addition, many animals and plants are under threat of being wiped from the biosphere. To counter and reverse these trends, many governments have enforced measures to protect their diversity and Canada is not an exception. This paper discusses the approach that the Canadian government applies in protecting the endangered species the primary threats, challenges and pressures that the approach addresses. Canada has identified several endangered species from its rich diversity. These species include the polar bear, the spotted owl, boreal woodland caribou, pearly caribou and the kidney shell. These are just some of the species that are listed as endangered and many Canadian environmentalists argue that there are many more. These species face many threats ranging from climatic changes to human induced activities. The population of the polar bear for instance is on a declining trend because of climatic changes and increased hunting and persecution by man in Canada. Similar threats face other endangered species and to reverse the situation, the Canadian government has enforced multi-prong approaches to preserve and conserve the species. The first approach is listing and identification of the endangered species, recovery strategies, action planning, and protection of their habitats in addition to indentifying safety nets for protection. Two agencies namely Committee on the Status of the Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and federal government through SARA (Species at Risk Act) are responsible for listing and indentifying the endangered species. This is followed by identifying the habitat of the endangered species with an objective of preserving it from being lost. Venter, et al (2006) indentified habitat loss as the main factor that has contributed to decline of species in the country. Action planning in Canada entails enforcement of cost effective and efficient measures to recover the species and the habitats in the country. To ensure that these measures are adhered to, the ministry responsible undertakes constant supervision of the endangered species and their habitats. In addition to addressing aforementioned aspects, this approach also deals with protecting habitats that are not under the federal government jurisdiction. However, the main shortcoming of this strategy is that it does not cover the all habitats, and this exposes the endangered species to greater risks because they are not constrained within the stipulated boundaries (Canada Species at Risk Act, 2006). The main challenges and pressure of Canadian approach of protecting the endangered species is political interference and the need to implement wide ranging environmental reforms to protect the habitats. Human activities are some of the factors that have resulted to the decline of the species and efforts to address these issues are subjected to political debates that eventually compromise on the conservation efforts (Venter, et al 2006). Addressing climatic factors such as global warming and greenhouse gas emissions is important in order to preserve the habitats and the endangered species in the country. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions for instance require enforcement appropriate legislations in all sectors of the Canadian economy and across the international borders. This present one of the most formidable challenges in the country and the neighboring states in coming up with a common approach of addressing the issue of endangered species and their habitats. References Canada Species at Risk Act (2006). “ Implementation at snails pace” Venter, O., et al. (2006). Threats to endangered species in Canada. Bioscience, 56(11): pp 900-913.