URGENT DEADLINE: JULY 22, 2026
Canada’s endangered species protections are on the line, and decisions being made right now could push vulnerable wildlife closer to extinction.
The federal government is considering changes that would weaken one of the strongest safeguards in the Species at Risk Act (SARA) — a requirement that federally approved activities cannot increase the risk of extinction or interfere with the recovery of endangered species.
Pacific Wild is calling on Canadians to speak out: economic development must not come at the cost of pushing vulnerable species closer to extinction.
What’s at stake
The proposed changes would remove a core environmental safeguard known as the “jeopardy clause”. This clause forces the federal government to ask a simple, critical question before approving projects like mines, logging operations, shipping expansions, or other industrial developments: will this decision jeopardize the survival or recovery of species already at risk?
Without the jeopardy clause, projects could be approved even when the evidence shows they will harm threatened species that are already struggling to survive.
Southern Resident killer whales need stronger protection — not weaker ones
Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW) are already facing an imminent threat to their survival and recovery. These whales depend on abundant Chinook salmon and a healthy marine ecosystem, yet many Chinook populations are themselves endangered or declining.
SRKWs are also facing increasing pressures from vessel traffic, underwater noise, pollution, and habitat degradation.
Canada is spending millions of public dollars on SRKW and Chinook salmon recovery efforts. Weakening SARA would undermine those investments and open the door to new activities that could further harm the very species Canadians are working to recover.
Woodland caribou: no room for more loss
Woodland caribou across Canada continue to decline due to habitat loss and industrial disturbance. For decades, governments have acknowledged that habitat destruction is the primary threat facing these iconic animals.
The jeopardy clause is one of the few tools that forces decision-makers to evaluate whether proposed projects will further damage already fragmented critical habitat. Removing this safeguard would make it easier for harmful industrial activities to proceed in areas caribou depend on for survival.
If Canada is serious about preventing extinctions, it must strengthen, not weaken, protections for species at risk.
Take Action Now: Send a Letter Today
The federal government needs to hear from Canadians who believe protecting nature and building a strong economy must go hand in hand, and not be traded off against each other..
Send your own letter calling on decision-makers to:
- Keep the jeopardy clause in the Species at Risk Act.
- Refuse to weaken protections for endangered species in the name of “faster” industrial development.
- Ensure economic decisions account for the real, long-term costs of biodiversity loss.
- Protect Southern Resident killer whales, Pacific salmon, woodland caribou, and all species at risk from activities that threaten their recovery.
Suggested Talking Points
Use these points to help write your message:
Protect endangered species
- The Species at Risk Act exists to prevent extinction and support the recovery of vulnerable species.
- Removing the jeopardy clause would weaken one of Canada’s most important safeguards for endangered wildlife.
- Species already on the brink cannot afford weaker protections.
Support recovery efforts — don’t undermine them
- Canadians are investing millions of taxpayer dollars into recovering species like Southern Resident killer whales, Pacific salmon, and woodland caribou.
- It makes no sense to spend public funds on recovery while allowing decisions that could further harm these same species.
Protect Southern Resident killer whales
- Southern Resident killer whales are already facing an imminent threat to their survival and recovery.
- Their survival depends on healthy Chinook salmon populations and a functioning marine ecosystem.
- Increasing industrial pressures, vessel traffic, and underwater noise are already threatening their recovery.
Protect woodland caribou habitat
- Woodland caribou continue to decline because of habitat loss and fragmentation.
- Protecting critical habitat is essential to preventing further population declines and local extirpations.
- The federal government must consider cumulative impacts before approving projects that could harm threatened herds.
Biodiversity matters
- Protecting endangered species is not an obstacle to a strong economy, it is part of building a sustainable future.
- Healthy ecosystems provide essential benefits for communities, economies, and future generations.
- Canada should not accept biodiversity loss as the price of industrial expansion.
Add your voice before July 22
The decisions made today will shape the future of Canada’s wildlife for generations.
Tell the federal government: protect species at risk, uphold the Species at Risk Act, and keep the jeopardy clause intact.
Send in your feedback before July 22, 2026 to: engagement@pco-bcp.gc.ca
