Critical Habitat Order Proposed For St. Lawrence Beluga Whale

On May 14, 2016, the government of Canada published a proposed order in the Canada Gazette, Part I, for the protection of critical habitat for the St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) population of the beluga whale. While this population of beluga whales is listed as a threatened species on Schedule 1 of the Species At Risk Act (SARA), in 2014 COSEWIC (the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada), recommended the SLE population be redesignated as endangered.

Under section 58 of SARA, the responsible Minister must make an order (or statement) to protect the critical habitat that has been identified in a recovery strategy or action plan for an endangered or threatened species. The order will, when it comes into force, trigger the prohibition under section 58 against the destruction of any part of the critical habitat of the SLE beluga whale.