Maritimes Region - aquatic species at risk

Mandate

Fisheries and Oceans established a Species at Risk Management Division (SARMD) in 1999 to lead the coordination of the Region's Species at Risk Program.

Key activities

SARMD is responsible for regional species at risk and oversees assessment, consultation, listing, recovery planning and implementation, and permitting. To implement these activities, SARMD works closely with other DFO programs (including Fisheries and Aquaculture Management, Fisheries Protection Program, Oceans and Coastal Management, Policy and Economics, and Science) and relies on the cooperation of other government agencies, First Nations and other Aboriginal organizations, stakeholders, and the general public.

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) is an independent committee of experts, which assesses the status of a species based on the best available information, including scientific data, local ecological information, and Aboriginal traditional knowledge. Once aquatic species are assessed, DFO is responsible for making a recommendation to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change on whether or not to list the species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). As part of this process, DFO conducts consultations open to all Canadians to determine potential benefits or impacts of listing a species.

Species at risk in your area

Use the search function to find aquatic species at risk.

Public consultations

For more information on SARA public consultations, please visit the SARA Public Registry.

Success stories

Read more about recovering species at risk.

Maritimes aquatic species at risk

Learn more about the aquatic species listed under the federal SARA that are found in the Maritimes Region by viewing their profiles. Not all species are equally at risk, so they are separated into categories: Extinct, Extirpated, Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern.