Protection

In 1971 the Ontario government put in place one of the first laws in North America to protect endangered species. The Endangered Species Act states that "no person shall willfully,
(a) kill, injure, interfere with or take or attempt to kill, injure interfere with or take...
or (b) destroy or interfere with or attempt to destroy or interfere with the habitat of
any species of fauna or flora, declared under the regulations to be threatened with extinction."

In 1996, the Ontario government signed the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk in Canada, in which federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for wildlife committed to a national approach for the protection and recovery of species at risk. The province is working on a bi-lateral agreement with the federal government to outline their respective responsibilities. Their goal is to prevent species in Canada from becoming extinct because of human activity.

The Ontario government is also committed to the Canadian Biodiversity Strategy, which is "a decision-making framework... to ensure the long-term productivity, diversity and integrity of natural systems."

Examples of other Provincial laws and policy:

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act prohibits hunting and trapping of "specially protected" mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. It also prohibits the buying and selling of specially protected wildlife. For a list of these species please check out page 92 of the 2003 Ontario Hunting Regulations summary or on the internet http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/pubs/hunting/huntRegs/2003/hr2003.pdf

The Crown Forest Sustainability Act states that before forests can be logged, consideration must be given to provincially and locally important species which includes Threatened and Endangered species.

The Provincial Parks Act prohibits hunting in provincial parks except where regulations under the Game and Fish Act allow hunting, or where the Lieutenant Governor has removed the prohibition. It also states that collecting plants is not allowed.

Under the Planning Act, the Provincial Policy Statement provides direction for municipal land-use planners on how to make sure that species at risk habitats are protected when lands are developed.
Other province of Ontario laws that offer protection or require consideration of species at risk are Environmental Assessment Act and the Aggregates Act. To view Ontario laws, visit http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca

The federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) was given Royal Assent in December 2002 and came into force in June 2003, with the exception of the sections that deal with general prohibitions, compensation and enforcement. The provisions that came into force include those that deal with the “legal list” of species at risk and recovery planning. For the first time, the federal government will have a legislative basis to guide the assessment, listing and recovery of species at risk. The Act also provides protection for threatened as well as endangered species, including critical habitats. For more information about SARA, visit http://www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca/index_e.cfm

The federal Fisheries Act and the Migratory Bird Convention Act also provide protection for many species of birds and animals.

Internationally, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) provides guidelines to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

Last Modified: September 2, 2003
Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2007