How could the delays in species listing decisions affect parliament?
Parliament may need to address legislative gaps slowing species protection The delays in listing species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) are rooted in a legislative gap: there is no explicit statutory deadline for the minister to provide a recommendation to the Governor in Council. This systemic failure, which has left over half of 288 species assessed since 2017 awaiting protection, puts pressure on parliament to review and amend SARA. Critics argue this gap allows the government to postpone difficult choices between conservation and competing economic interests, necessitating legislative intervention to create a more efficient and transparent process.
- Effect
- Mild negative
- How direct
- Brind's reasoning
- When
- Within months
- The story
- Still developing
How it reaches parliament
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A new study found that of 288 species assessed as at risk since 2017, only 17 reached the Governor in Council, the federal cabinet body that makes final listing decisions, within the recommended timeline. As of January 25, 2025, 153 species were overdue and still awaiting a decision. The study attributes the bottleneck to a gap in the Species at Risk Act, which lacks a statutory deadline for a crucial stage of the process.
The full event1independent outlet -
The cabinet body's process reveals that SARA lacks a statutory deadline for the minister to provide a recommendation to the Governor in Council. This gap allows the process to stall, leaving 153 species assessed since 2017 overdue for listing decisions as of January 25, 2025.
No report states this step directly. Brind drew it from the reporting on each side of it, so treat it as an informed guess.
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legislative body of government
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The facts so far
As reported. Each one links to where it comes from.
- Of 288 species assessed as at risk since 2017, 153 were overdue and still waiting for listing decisions as of Jan. 25, 2025.cbc.ca
- SARA does not include a statutory timeline for the minister to provide a recommendation to the Governor in Council.cbc.ca
- The government recommended one to two years for moving assessments forward, but is consistently failing to meet that.cbc.ca
- Aquatic species were disproportionately affected, with none of the 15 marine mammals or 49 marine fish forwarded to the Governor in Council by the January 2025 cutoff.cbc.ca
Why it matters
The delays are not merely administrative; they prevent species from receiving critical protections, such as prohibitions against harming or taking them, and delay the identification of critical habitat. This failure to act on assessments, like those for the Saskatchewan-Nelson River population of lake sturgeon, means species cannot move between areas they rely on to survive.
This issue highlights a broader tension between conservation goals and economic interests. Critics argue that the legislative gap allows the government to postpone difficult decisions, putting pressure on parliament to either close this loophole or accept the current pace of environmental protection.
What we don't know yet
- Will parliament introduce legislation to mandate statutory deadlines for the species listing process?
- How will the government respond to the criticism that the current process allows it to avoid public choices between conservation and economic interests?
What would change this answer
— Other considerations
Beyond this explainer
Questions worth asking
Ideas the web ties closely to this story that the explainer doesn't mention. These are prompts for your own research: Brind hasn't answered them.
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About Aquatic Invasive Species
Since the delays prevent species from receiving critical protections, could the lack of timely listing make aquatic invasive species threats worse?
Explore Aquatic Invasive Species -
About Fish Invertebrates
Given that aquatic species were disproportionately affected by the delays, are fish invertebrates among the species most at risk of being overlooked by the current process?
Explore Fish Invertebrates
Explore connected ideas
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Who else could feel it
Other possible ripples from the same event.
- British ColumbiaPossibleRegulatory uncertainty over species protection may impact British Columbia's joint policy planning
- David EbyPossibleFederal listing delays may complicate British Columbia's environmental policy planning
- AlbertaPossibleRegulatory uncertainty over species protection may impact Alberta's resource agreements
Reporting
- cbc.caYesterday
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Brind's analysis is written by AI from the reporting linked above and can be wrong. This explainer is a possibility worth considering, not a forecast: steps marked as Brind's reasoning are not stated in the reporting. It is not investment advice; do your own research.