In light of the recently…

In light of the recently released Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, we need to improve and strengthen Ontario's Endangered Species Act. Already governments around the world do not have strong enough policies in place to adequately protect species at risk. While the Government's review of the ESA is timely, it's time to strengthen protections, not weaken them. We need pollinators for food production, biodiversity for ecosystem services, and policies that protect the environment from uncontrolled development.

In Ontario alone, 234 species are currently at risk. Habitat loss and degradation are the major drivers of decline. That is why it’s more important than ever to strengthen protections for wildlife, especially those already at risk.

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) already provides significant exemptions to industry (i.e., forestry). We need legislation that makes it harder for habitat to be destroyed. We need to strengthen the ESA so that critical habitat is protected, especially from major developments. Habitat cannot be replaced. It takes decades to remediate sites, centuries for old-growth habitats. While I appreciate the need to encourage development, we can’t do so at the expense of habitat and wildlife, or soon we will have nothing left. Limits must be set. Businesses of the future will demand healthy, thriving ecosystems in which to function. By opening for business at any expense, we will soon be paying the ultimate price through destruction of the nature that sustains us.

I, therefore, am asking you to:

- Prioritize the recovery of at-risk species over the demands of developers.
- Repeal the industry exemptions under section 55.
- Ensure that habitat is protected and restored to facilitate species recovery, instead of merely mitigating the adverse impacts of harmful activities.

A strong Endangered Species Act will mean a stronger Ontario now and in the future.