IMAGE<\/a>]<\/p>\nThe announcement by the Canadian government over the Easter holiday weekend that it will be removing SARA protection for the Pacific humpback whales seems suspicious and it has ignited quite a bit of reaction. This reaction just might be justified, but not for the obvious, implied, reasons.<\/p>\n
In 2011, the population of Pacific humpbacks were reassessed by the committee of scientists responsible for assessing endangered wildlife in Canada; COSEWIC (the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada).\u00a0 After a considerable scientific debate and serious consideration (a hallmark of this committee), it was decided to reduce the status of this whale from \u2018Threatened\u2019 to \u2018Special Concern\u2019 because the population has increased significantly in the past 10 years.<\/p>\n
So, Canadians\u2019 concern for this issue should not be the ‘downlisting’ of humpbacks. In fact this is a great thing; after 50 years of no commercial hunting (the cause of their decline), this whale seems to be recovering! Yay!<\/p>\n
The disconcerting aspect of this issue is that the government moves quickly to recognize the improvement in the status of species at risk, but has a track record of moving very slowly (there is no debate about this; it is fact) to legally recognize species that need increased protection because they are at risk of extinction. And this is especially true for marine species.<\/p>\n
The Pacific humpback whale actually exemplifies this: the federal recovery plan for this species, which the government was required to produce for the Pacific Humpbacks when they were listed as \u2018Threatened\u2019 in 2003, was not completed until 2013! Two years after COSEWIC did its re-assessment and reduced their extinction risk status. Absurd? Yes.<\/p>\n
Our wildlife is a part of who we are as Canadians; a part of our heritage. Wildlife must be conserved for the use and enjoyment of all Canadians, and we must be especially cautious with our species at risk of extinction. We have to be clear about this with our federal government.<\/p>\n
We will be Canadians long after our non-renewable resources are gone. But we will be less Canadian for every species and habitat we lose.<\/p>\n
CWF supports the conservation of all of Canada’s wildlife; our rare and our common species, through our conservation work, our education programs and our efforts to improve the awareness of Canadians about their wildlife heritage.<\/p>\n
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La baleine \u00e0 bosse n\u2019est plus consid\u00e9r\u00e9e comme \u00ab\u00a0menac\u00e9e\u00a0\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n\u00c9crit par Sean Brillant, directeur des programmes de conservation marine<\/p>\n
Le gouvernement f\u00e9d\u00e9ral a annonc\u00e9 pendant la fin de semaine de P\u00e2ques qu\u2019il allait retirer la protection de la LEP \u00e0 la population de baleines \u00e0 bosse du Pacifique. Cette annonce semble suspecte et a suscit\u00e9 pas mal de r\u00e9actions. Si une r\u00e9action para\u00eet effectivement justifi\u00e9e, ce n\u2019est cependant pas en raison du d\u00e9classement propos\u00e9 lui-m\u00eame.<\/p>\n
En 2011, la situation des baleines \u00e0 bosse du Pacifique a \u00e9t\u00e9 r\u00e9examin\u00e9e par le Comit\u00e9 sur la situation des esp\u00e8ces en p\u00e9ril au Canada, le comit\u00e9 de scientifiques charg\u00e9 de classer les esp\u00e8ces canadiennes en p\u00e9ril. Au terme d\u2019un d\u00e9bat scientifique important et d\u2019un examen s\u00e9rieux, le type de d\u00e9marche qui distingue le COSEPAC, la d\u00e9cision a \u00e9t\u00e9 prise d\u2019attribuer une cat\u00e9gorie de p\u00e9ril moindre \u00e0 cette population de baleines jusque-l\u00e0 consid\u00e9r\u00e9e comme \u00ab\u00a0menac\u00e9e\u00a0\u00bb\u00a0: en raison d\u2019un accroissement important de ses effectifs depuis dix ans, sa situation apparaissait d\u00e9sormais seulement \u00ab\u00a0pr\u00e9occupante\u00a0\u00bb.<\/p>\n
Dans ce contexte, ce n\u2019est pas le d\u00e9classement des baleines \u00e0 bosse qui devrait inqui\u00e9ter les Canadiens. En fait, il s\u2019agit d\u2019une tr\u00e8s bonne nouvelle\u00a0: 50\u00a0ans apr\u00e8s la fin de la chasse commerciale (c\u2019\u00e9tait la cause de la d\u00e9croissance des effectifs), cette population semble se r\u00e9tablir! C\u2019est super!<\/p>\n
Ce qui est d\u00e9concertant, c\u2019est plut\u00f4t le contraste entre l\u2019empressement avec lequel le gouvernement reconna\u00eet le passage \u00e0 une cat\u00e9gorie de moindre p\u00e9ril et la grande lenteur (habituelle, ind\u00e9niable) avec laquelle il accorde \u00e0 des esp\u00e8ces qui risquent de s\u2019\u00e9teindre la protection l\u00e9gale suppl\u00e9mentaire dont elles ont besoin (particuli\u00e8rement dans le cas d\u2019esp\u00e8ces marines).<\/p>\n
L\u2019\u00e9volution de la situation des baleines \u00e0 bosse du Pacifique en offre un exemple\u00a0: en 2003, lorsqu\u2019on a class\u00e9 cette population comme \u00ab\u00a0menac\u00e9e\u00a0\u00bb, cela signifiait que le gouvernement f\u00e9d\u00e9ral devait \u00e9laborer un plan de r\u00e9tablissement \u00e0 son \u00e9gard, mais l\u2019\u00e9laboration du plan s\u2019est achev\u00e9e seulement en 2013! C\u2019est-\u00e0-dire deux ans apr\u00e8s le nouvel examen du COSEPAC qui a d\u00e9termin\u00e9 que le p\u00e9ril s\u2019\u00e9tait amoindri. Absurde? Oui.<\/p>\n
La faune et la flore de notre pays font partie int\u00e9grante de notre identit\u00e9 nationale; elles font partie de notre patrimoine. Nous devons veiller \u00e0 leur conservation afin que tous les Canadiens puissent en tirer des ressources ou de l\u2019agr\u00e9ment, et nous devons \u00eatre particuli\u00e8rement prudents en ce qui a trait aux esp\u00e8ces en p\u00e9ril. Nous devons nous assurer que le gouvernement f\u00e9d\u00e9ral comprenne clairement cette attente.<\/p>\n
Les habitants de ce pays continueront d\u2019\u00eatre appel\u00e9s Canadiens bien apr\u00e8s l\u2019\u00e9puisement de leurs ressources non renouvelables. Ils seront cependant moins canadiens chaque fois qu\u2019une esp\u00e8ce ou un milieu naturel dispara\u00eet.<\/p>\n
La FCF favorise la conservation de toutes les esp\u00e8ces sauvages du Canada, les esp\u00e8ces rares comme les esp\u00e8ces communes, par son travail de conservation, ses programmes \u00e9ducatifs et les initiatives qu\u2019elle met sur pied pour sensibiliser davantage les Canadiens \u00e0 leur patrimoine faunique et floral.<\/p>\n
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