Critical habitat designation for Canadian listed species: Slow, biased, and incomplete

Although endangered species legislation can be a powerful tool for protecting species, such laws are only as good as their implementation. Under the Canadian Species at Risk Act, Critical Habitat is designated in a Recovery Strategy as the habitat required for the recovery or survival of a listed species. We examined the finalized Recovery Strategies for 234 species and we found poor implementation of Critical Habitat designation for Canadian species. Most listed species (62.9%) lack Critical Habitat; only 11.8% have full Critical Habitat. Many species with Critical habitat obtained it years later than the statutory requirements. Designation is biased taxonomically, by major habitat type, and by lead agency. These results echo findings from the US Endangered Species Act, despite differences between the laws in when designation is supposed to occur. Additional funding and expertise would likely help reduce these delays. We also strongly encourage designation even in the face of incomplete information because of the significant negative consequences that can result from failure to protect the habitat of species at risk of extinction.