The protection of boreal caribou, at the center of an agreement between Manitoba and the federal government
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The caribou is an endangered species, according to the governments of Canada and Manitoba. (File photo)
The governments of Canada and Manitoba have entered into a three-year agreement to support the conservation and recovery of endangered boreal caribou in the province.
The conservation measures aim to monitor the estimated 1,500 to 3,500 individuals in Manitoba, to improve their chances of survival in the wild.
The federal government reiterated its attachment to the endangered animal, emblematic of Canada, represented in particular on Canadian 25 cent coins.
The agreement reached at COP15 only strengthens our government's determination to halt the loss of biodiversity and turn the tide by 2030, notes the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, in the press release. announcing the agreement.
The federal government announces that Environment and Climate Change Canada has provided nearly $1 million for boreal caribou conservation over the next few years.< /p>
A healthy caribou population is an indicator of the health of our boreal forests, and Manitoba will continue to be a leader in caribou recovery and conservation in North America, says Minister of Natural Resources and Development. Northern Manitoba, Greg Nesbitt.
Action plans for the recovery of caribou populations had to be completed since 2009, says the executive director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), Ron Thiessen. This new investment in the protection of this endangered wild icon is welcome.
Future conservation measures will be based on the strategy for the recovery of woodland caribou populations, published in 2015 by the Manitoba government. CPAWS had worked on its development. The strategy exceeds all other conservation plans in Canada, since it commits to protecting 65 to 80% of boreal caribou habitat in 9 distinct sectors , underlines Ron Thiessen.
The caribou population has halved in the last 50 years in Manitoba, says Ron Thiessen.
This trend is mainly due to the loss of natural deer habitats, resulting from both human land use activities and forest fires.
In Manitoba, caribou have disappeared from a significant portion of their historic ranges, including all of Whiteshell Provincial Park, as Superintendent Ron Thiessen recalls.
“At a minimum, action plans should include extensive habitat protection and ambitious implementation timelines.
— Ron Thiessen, Executive Director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
Governments say they want to work with Indigenous communities to protect the species.< /p>
