Protection for at-risk species falters over Ottawa delays

Protection for at-risk species falters over Ottawa delays

Postby Oscar » Sun Dec 07, 2014 12:31 pm

Protection for at-risk species falters over Ottawa delays

From: Janet Eaton
Sent: Thursday, December 4, 2014 7:14 AM
Subject: Protection for at-risk species falters over Ottawa delays, scientists say + Comment

Dear All:

Each day brings new revelations about the Harper government's controlling hand over government and democracy in this country, his drastic cuts to the public sector, his censorship of civil society and scientists, his vilification of environmentalists, his single- minded ideologically driven confounding polices, etc. in what appears to be a drive to create a fundamentalist right wing warrior nation !!

On Monday, December 1st, species at risk legislation was revealed to have been left to flounder as species at risk multiply.

Last night, it was announced that funding for 13 health institutes in Canada [funded through a federal government's funding agency for health research] would be cut by half and that the Institutes could make up the rest with partnerships, which begs the question: with whom - perhaps industry that would then control the agenda and censor the results if contrary to its Neoliberal, private sector and profit - motivated mission ????

Here are two references to Harper government's recalcitrance and failure to act on species at risk legislation.

Excerpts:

1) Protection for at-risk species falters over Ottawa delays, scientists say:

[ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nat ... e21840705/ ]

December 1, 2014

"Scientists monitoring Canada's process for identifying and protecting endangered wildlife say the system is floundering because the federal government is taking too long to list species that are deemed at risk while not doing enough to improve the status of those that are already listed.
So serious is the problem that none of the 67 species that have been recommended for listing under the Species at Risk Act for the first time since January, 2011 has been taken forward to the point where a decision to list it or not can be made, as federal legislation requires.
To date, 501 species are currently listed under the act. By Dr. Otto's count, 114 more species that have been recommended for listing by the committee remain in limbo – including all of those recommended after 2010.
"This is not about taking extra time to contemplate the status of species," said Jeremy Kerr, a conservation biologist and professor at the University of Ottawa.
"This is a comprehensive across-the-board failure to permit a clearly defined process to proceed."

- - - -

2) Federal government cancels key industry and environmental group meeting intended to save species at risk
[ http://www.ecojustice.ca/media-centre/p ... es-at-risk ]

Oct 09, 2014 09:43 AM

OTTAWA – The federal government has decided to cancel a high level meeting used to solicit advice from industry and environmental groups on how to best protect Canada’s species at risk.
The move flies in the face of last week’s Living Planet Report, which calls for urgent action to stem dramatic biodiversity loss around the globe. No rationale for the cancellation has been given, leaving stakeholders questioning the federal government’s commitment to protecting Canada’s most vulnerable wildlife.
The Species at Risk Advisory Committee (SARAC) had met regularly twice a year for more than a decade and brought industry players from Canada’s oil, forestry, mining and other sectors to the same table as Canada’s largest environmental groups. Together they develop concrete advice for the federal government on Canada’s endangered species.
“SARAC represents an important opportunity for me to problem solve with people whose industries greatly impact the habitat and areas upon which Canada's endangered species depend,” said Susanna Fuller of Ecology Action Centre.
“It is a chance for us to meet on neutral territory and to jointly provide practical solutions to government, which has the duty to regulate the protection of species at risk.”

For more see URL's provided above.

Janet Eaton
Wolfville, NS
BLOG: [ https://beyondcollapse.wordpress.com/ ]
Oscar
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Posts: 9079
Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 3:23 pm

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