Environmental Trends 2007

Species Conservation

Recovery Strategies for Species at Risk in British Columbia

Recovery strategies are in progress for 95 per cent of B.C.’s 140 endangered species.

Note: Species assessed as of March 2007 as ‘extirpated’, ‘endangered’, or ‘threatened’ by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.

• Recovery planning for species at risk involves bringing together species experts, interest groups, industry representatives, and other experts to work towards the welfare of a species.

• Photo credit: B.C. Parks

  Through federal accords and legislation, recovery strategies are required for species that have been assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as ‘extirpated’, ‘endangered’, or ‘threatened’.

• As of March 2007, recovery strategies for species at risk were in progress or completed across the full range of species groups. Completed recovery plans are available on the Species at Risk Act registry. Some of the earliest recovery plans in B.C. have involved the marbled murrelet, the Vancouver Island marmot and a subspecies of Peregrine falcon.

• Recovery efforts are also underway for commercial species such as rockfish. About 28 species of rockfish are caught commercially, but they are vulnerable to overfishing. To protect them, Rockfish Conservation Areas have been designated, starting in 2003. They now protect 20-30 per cent of the total rockfish habitat on the coast.

For detailed information, including graph data, see In-Depth Report [pdf].

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