MOSCOW, Russia – December
6, 2013 – The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq,
Minister of the Environment, Minister of
the Canadian Northern Economic Development
Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council,
met with counterparts in Moscow, Russia,
to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the
1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar
Bears. During the meeting, Range States
agreed upon a joint declaration aimed at
furthering the international conservation
and management of polar bears.
“In signing this Declaration,
the Range States have committed to developing
and implementing comprehensive monitoring
programs throughout the Arctic, in light
of a recognized need for reliable data,”
said Minister Aglukkaq. “We have also committed
to ensuring that Aboriginal Traditional
Knowledge is integrated into our polar bear
management decisions. Finally, signing this
Declaration represents a commitment to managing
changes, such as increased economic development,
that will continue to take place in our
shared Arctic region.”
While in Moscow, the
Polar Bear Range States countries (Canada,
the United States, Norway, Russia, and the
Kingdom of Denmark), who are signatories
to the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation
of Polar Bears, renewed their commitment
to polar bear conservation and management
through the signing of a Declaration. The
2013 Declaration celebrates successful cooperation
achieved over the last 40 years, recognizes
the need for engagement with local communities
in the North, and highlights important emerging
issues impacting the species such as climate
change and illegal trade.
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Minister Aglukkaq to
Meet with Polar Bear Range States in Russia
MOSCOW, Russia – December
2, 2013 – The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq,
Minister of the Environment, Minister of
the Canadian Northern Economic Development
Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council,
will lead the Canadian delegation at the
40th Anniversary of the International Agreement
on the Conservation of Polar Bears in Moscow,
Russia, from December 4-6, 2013.
“Our Government is committed
to proper conservation of the polar bear,
while ensuring that the rights of Aboriginal
peoples who continue to rely on the polar
bear for food, clothing and livelihood are
maintained and respected,” said Minister
Aglukkaq.
The Polar Bear Range
States (Canada, the United States, Norway,
Russia, and the Kingdom of Denmark), who
represent the parties to the 1973 Agreement
on the Conservation of Polar Bears meet
biennially to advance polar bear management
and conservation. To celebrate 40 years
of cooperation, this year’s meeting will
open with a high-level session on December
4, which will be followed by technical discussion
on December 5 on polar bear conservation
efforts at a circumpolar scale.
While in Russia, Minister
Aglukkaq will also engage with senior Russian
interlocutors and business representatives
on cooperation during Canada’s Arctic Council
Chairmanship.
Canada assumed the two-year
Chairmanship of the Arctic Council in May
2013. The theme for Canada’s Chairmanship
is Development for the People of the North,
with a focus on responsible Arctic resource
development, safe Arctic shipping and sustainable
circumpolar communities.
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Government of Canada
Takes Action to Protect Greater Sage-Grouse
OTTAWA, Ont. – December
4, 2013 – The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq,
Minister of the Environment, Minister of
the Canadian Northern Economic Development
Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council,
announced today that the Government of Canada
published an Emergency Order to protect
the Greater Sage-Grouse under the Species
at Risk Act. The intention to go forward
with an emergency order was announced on
September 17, 2013. The Emergency Order
will come into force on February 18, 2014.
“Our Government is committed
to protecting and preserving our rich biodiversity,”
said Minister Aglukkaq. “Our goal with this
Emergency Order is to achieve the best protection
for the Sage-Grouse while minimizing impacts
on landowners and agricultural producers.”
The Emergency Order
addresses imminent threats to the survival
and recovery of the Sage-Grouse by protecting
important habitat for this species on provincial
and federal crown lands in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The Order will also introduce restrictions
on activities on these lands that impact
Sage-Grouse populations. The Order does
not apply on private lands. The Order does
not limit grazing on federal or provincial
crown lands. The Order, along with important
voluntary stewardship measures, is anticipated
to help stabilize the Sage-Grouse population
and begin its recovery.
The Greater Sage-Grouse,
an endangered bird under the federal Species
at Risk Act, is one of the many species
that depends on the unique prairie ecosystem
of southeastern Alberta and southwestern
Saskatchewan. In 2012, there were estimated
to be between 93-138 adult birds in Canada.
The Government of Canada
will continue to work cooperatively with
provincial governments, industry, landowners
and others to protect Greater Sage-Grouse
habitat by implementing voluntary stewardship
measures that complement the Emergency Order.
Already, more than $1 million in funding
over the next three years has been committed
for projects to protect Sage-Grouse and
other species at risk in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Additional funding will be available under
the Habitat Stewardship Program to support
landowners and other stakeholders in protecting
Sage-Grouse.
An Emergency Order under
Section 80 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA)
can be used when a species faces imminent
threats to its survival, and current protection
measures are deemed inadequate. This is
the first time since the Act’s inception
that this mechanism is being invoked.
