Notice

On June 29, 2012, the Fisheries Act was amended. Policy and regulations are now being developed to support the new fisheries protection provisions of the Act (which are not yet in force). The existing guidance and policies continue to apply. For more information, see Changes to the Fisheries Act.

Species at Risk Act (SARA)

In 2004 the Species at Risk Act (SARA) came fully into force. SARA was created to:

• prevent Canadian indigenous species, subspecies and distinct populations of wildlife from being extirpated or becoming extinct;
• provide for the recovery of wildlife species that are extirpated, endangered or threatened as a result of human activity; and
• manage species of special concern to prevent them from becoming endangered or threatened.

Under SARA, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is the competent minister for listed aquatic species including fish (as defined in Section 2 of the Fisheries Act) and marine plants (as defined in Section 47 of the Fisheries Act). The Minister of Environment is the competent minister responsible for overall coordination and administration of SARA and responsible for migratory birds under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, and all other non-aquatic species at risk. Parks Canada Agency is responsible for species in or on federal lands that are national parks, national historic sites or other protected heritage areas as defined in the Parks Canada Agency Act.

The role of the Habitat Management Program in implementing SARA includes consideration of aquatic species at risk and their habitat in referral reviews and environmental assessments as well as providing advice on the development of recovery strategies, action plans and management plans.