Aquatic Species at Risk

Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA) was created to protect many aquatic species including fish, reptiles, marine mammals and molluscs. Find out what it means for you, especially if you are a commercial fisher, aquaculturist, recreational fisher, recreational boater, Aboriginal, scientist, researcher or involved in an activity that might impact the habitat of species at risk.

Featured Species

Basking Shark

The basking shark is the second largest fish in the world, with a maximum recorded size of 12.2 m. This filter-feeder is named after its conspicuous behaviour of ‘basking’ (more accurately feeding) at the surface. It is the only species in its family, Cetorhinidae. The earliest fossil basking shark is 29 to 35 million years old. Basking sharks are found around the world in temperate coastal shelf waters and exist in Canada in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. It is estimated that their rate of decline has exceeded 90% within about sixty years, or two to three generations.

The basking shark is now under consideration for addition to SARA. Full Story >>