The federal government's proposed law to protect endangered species emerged from its burrow on Parliament Hill yesterday only to meet a hail of arrows. Environmentalists blasted the Species at Risk Act as pathetically weak, while a Bloc Quebecois spokesperson called it a blatant intrusion on provincial jurisdiction. Like two previous versions, the new bill depends largely on voluntary efforts, financial incentives and co-operation rather than laws and penalties to protect endangered creatures. The bill would make it illegal to kill, harm or harass an endangered animal on federal lands, but not necessarily on provincial lands.
Most land is under provincial jurisdiction.
It would be illegal to destroy the nest or den of an endangered animal in both provincial or federal territory. But protection of surrounding habitat would be left to political discretion. Environment Minister David Anderson had no apologies for shunning a strict approach like that of the U.S., which automatically bans development in habitat of an endangered creature. There is inevitably a major political role in this because of the delicacy . . This is enabling legislation . . . to build on co-operative approaches with landowners, with provincial governments, to encourage stewardship and to encourage protection of endangered habitat.