资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

From: Environment and Climate Change Canada

The governments of Canada and Ontario have reached an agreement to support the conservation and recovery of boreal caribou in Ontario.

“Boreal caribou are an absolutely iconic species. The health of the boreal caribou herds reflects the health of the whole boreal forest. These threatened species face a number of risks that require a deliberate and dedicated plan of action to ensure their long-term well-being. We need to get this right—this is a first step towards ensuring the sustainability of caribou herds in Ontario, but more conservation work and added funding will be needed in the future to guarantee their successful recovery. I look forward to continuing our collaboration with Ontario to collectively conserve and protect this species we hold dear for today and for future generations.”

– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

“We have a joint commitment to the protection and recovery of boreal caribou in Ontario. Through our shared goal of protecting this iconic and integral species and its habitat, our agreement achieves an important balance with the social and economic realities of Ontarians, industries in the north, and the broader species and ecosystems affected. I look forward to continuing to work in partnership with federal colleagues, Indigenous communities, industry, and conservation organizations to protect caribou now and for future generations.”

– The Honourable David Piccini, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

• The boreal caribou is listed as a threatened species under Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, and Ontario’s caribou population is a component of the national boreal caribou population, listed as threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act.

• It is estimated that there are roughly 5,000 boreal caribou in Ontario.

• In Ontario, the boreal caribou is found north of Sioux Lookout, Geraldton, and Cochrane, with an isolated population along the shoreline and islands of Lake Superior.

• Section 11 of the federal Species at Risk Act allows the federal government to enter into a conservation agreement with another government, an organization, or a person to benefit a species at risk or enhance its survival in the wild.

• Such agreements must provide for the taking of conservation measures such as monitoring the status of the species; developing and implementing education and public awareness programs; developing and implementing recovery strategies, action plans, and management plans; protecting the species’ habitat; and undertaking research projects in support of recovery efforts for the species.