The proposed changes to…

The proposed changes to/elimination of the Endangered Species Act raises many concerns. The province was already “failing its mandate to protect species at risk” according to a 2021 report by our provincial Auditor-General. And there is little evidence that endangered species rules are holding up projects so the premise of the changes is really invalid.

Of great concern is the fact that protecting species at risk will now be weighed against “social and economic considerations including the need for sustainable economic growth.” I read that to mean that sustainable economic growth will override the protection and conservation of endangered species whenever there is conflict between the two competing interests.

Also, moving from permits or licences to a rules-in-regulation approach, further weakens an already weak system. Generic rules can’t be applied to the complex nature of protecting species at risk. And as soon as a business or corporation registers the activity that could negatively impact species, they can immediately start working on the project. That means they can immediately begin to do lasting harm to an at-risk population.

A further concern of mine is the discretion allowed for the government to decide which species should be listed as at risk or endangered. Currently the listing process follows a science-lead approach. The Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario, an independent body of subject matter experts, reviews species that could be listed. Once they put forward a species for listing, the government is obligated to list the species and develop regulations and a recovery strategy. Getting rid of that process is deeply concerning as people with no expertise will be making the decisions.

And finally, narrowing the definition of habitat to little more than an animal’s den, or a plant/tree’s root system, provides virtually no protection at all and will lead to an even more rapid extinction of species and decline in biodiversity. We are part of nature, not apart from it. Protecting nature is protecting ourselves.