BC wildlife needs more protection, study says
An inadequate patchwork of laws and policies in British Columbia puts an estimated 1,900 species of wildlife at risk of extinction according to a new study, On the Edge: BC's Unprotected Transboundary Species.
An "inadequate patchwork of laws and policies" are putting an estimated 1,900 species of B.C. wildlife at risk of "extinction or extirpation," environmental groups claim in a new study.
The study released Tuesday by the David Suzuki Foundation, Ecojustice and Conservation Northwest argues that despite being home to a vast array of wildlife, B.C. has very few species at risk protected under the law.
It notes 96 per cent of the threatened species are transboundary and are also found in neighbouring jurisdictions where they often have stronger species-protection laws than B.C.
"If a grizzly bear ambles from Alberta or Montana across the border into B.C., it goes from being protected by law to staring down the barrel of a gun," said Michelle Connolly of the David Suzuki Foundation, one of the report's authors.
B.C. is home to a number of at-risk species such as the grizzly, lynx and wolverine, the report says.
But Ecojustice spokesman and report co-author Keith Ferguson said only nine per cent of at-risk species in B.C. are protected by law "and even for them protections are woefully inadequate."
"Most provinces have stand-alone legislation to protect species at risk but B.C. remains a laggard with no such law," he said in a news release.
However, a spokesman for the Environment Ministry said it was concerned about the issue and had appointed a Species At Risk (SAR) task force that was working on recommendations to be presented to the cabinet committee on environment and land use later this year.
"The 10 SAR task force members were announced in May and began work in June chaired by Dr. Bruce Fraser," said Matt Gordon, the ministry's communications director.
"The task force is expected to provide recommendations on key issues related to species at risk, including regulatory framework, private land stewardship, best environmental management practice, and stakeholder engagement and communication," said Gordon.
He said Environment Minister Barry Penner wanted to read the study by the three environmental groups before commenting on it.
Joe Scott of Conservation Northwest said wildlife didn't recognize political boundaries.
"Species like lynx are seriously endangered in the shared habitats of the U.S. and B.C. but are only protected south of the border," said Scott.
"Unfortunately, protections for such vulnerable wildlife are more like legal dead-ends than two way streets."
The report says B.C. needs strong legislation to protect species and ecosystems at risk.
The report also says the province should improve coordination of conservation efforts with its neighbours, including planning for the movements of species across borders due to climate change.
Titled On the Edge: British Columbia's Unprotected Transboundary Species, the report can be found at www.davidsuzuki.org.
