Human-induced wildlife loss is occurring on an unprecedented scale and we are now headed for what is being called the 6th mass extinction. The loss of wildlife of this magnitude threatens the existence of humans as well as the plants and animals themselves.
In October, 2018, the World Wildlife Fund released a report claiming that 60% of the planet's wildlife has been lost since 1970 (1). In November, 2018, an article in The Guardian posited that this loss of biodiversity poses an equal threat to humans as climate change (2).
Despite these stark warnings, some countries are not prioritizing wildlife protection. The current United States administration is considering weakening the Endangered Species Act (3), Brazilian president-elect Jair Bolsonaro has been vocal about his intent to open the Amazon river system for development (4), and Canada is facing the reality of declines in orca, right whale, and caribou populations.
We, the undersigned, call upon the Government of Canada to address the wildlife crisis with befitting urgency, by developing a comprehensive and expanded plan to protect Canada's wildlife that includes the following measures:
• Making wildlife protection a priority in international relations and trade agreements,
• Expanding domestic enforcement of and penalties for smuggling of parts of CITES-protected animals,
• Addressing meaningfully the impact on wildlife in development and resource extraction decision-making,
• Committing to the protection of wildlife habitat, and
• Approaching wildlife protection comprehensively, addressing it concurrently with such issues as habitat loss, pollution, and climate change, and with meaningful consultation with Indigenous peoples.
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1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelmarshalleurope/2018/10/30/animal-populations-have-fallen-60-per-cent-and-thats-bad-even-if-they-dont-go-extinct/#11b91ec44cf1
2. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/17/habitat-loss-biodiversity-wildlife-climate-change
3. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-wildlife-endangered/scientists-voice-opposition-to-weakening-of-u-s-endangered-species-act-idUSKCN1M42PG
4. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/18/jair-bolsonaro-election-sparks-fears-for-brazil-biodiversity
5. Photo courtesy gettyimages.com
