UN Year of Biodiversity

More than 540 animal and plant species are at risk in Canada.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has launched the global event, which aims to face the global extinction crisis head on, and safeguard endangered species before it is too late.

International activities will aim to promote biodiversity, highlighting that "all life on earth depends upon species, ecosystems and natural resources". Up to a fifth of plant and animal species risk extinction, according to experts, and nations have missed a goal set by the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in 2002 to significantly slow the loss of biodiversity by 2010.

In 1992 Canada became a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. With this act Canada made an international commitment to investing more in protecting wildlife at home and beyond our borders.

Researchers say preserving nature is crucial to the fight against climate change and warn that human activity is speeding up extinctions. They also argue that peoples' livelihoods depend on natural assets worth trillions of dollars.

According to the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF), wildlife related activities, such as bird-watching, photography, hunting and fishing, account for more than $10 billion in economic activity in Canada each year. Other commercially harvested wildlife species contribute significantly to local economies. We need look no further than the examples of Northern cod and Pacific salmon to see the economic havoc that the loss of a species can inflict.

This year offers an opportunity for our Parliament to take some bold steps in protecting the  biodiversity that Canada is home to.

• Investing in research on conservation, biodiversity and other related sciences.
• Establishing protected areas saw some successes in recent years, but more is needed.
• Legislating stronger regulations for the sustainable use of biological resources is essential.
• The protection of soil, water and air upon which all life depends must be part of any strategy.

Every indigenous species of Canada plays an important ecological role, yet more than 540 animals and plants are at risk in Canada, not to mention those that have already gone extinct. 

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE

Additional Information:

Canadian Wildlife Federation: web page on endangered species

World Wildlife Fund - Canada: web page on conservation

Sierra Club of Canada: web page on protecting biodiversity

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society - web page on conserving wilderness