September 27, 2024
Six Endangered Marine Animals in Canada
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BY: Rachelle Naddaf
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The oceans around Canada are teeming with life, from tiny zooplankton and vibrant corals to awe-inspiring whales and sea turtles. Many of these species face serious threats that endanger their survival. According to a 2020 Environment and Climate Change Canada report, more than 2,000 animal species in Canada are at risk of extinction.
Among them are several marine animals classified as endangered and listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA), a law designed to protect these species and prioritize their recovery. Here are six endangered marine animals in Canada that urgently need protection.
north atlantic right whale
North Atlantic right whales are one of the most endangered species in the world and are classified as “critically endangered.” Named after the fact that they were once considered the “right whale to hunt” – because they float when they die – these whales were nearly hunted to extinction in the 19th century. Today, there are less than 360 right whales left. Their survival is threatened by entanglements in fishing gear and collisions with ships.
Oceana Canada campaigns to help save right whales from ship strikes and dangerous lines of fishing gear. Join us and help protect right whales by sighing this petition here >>
piping plover
Piping plovers are a small – and adorable – migratory shorebird that nest along the coastline of Atlantic Canada and the Great Lakes. Their sandy colouration acts as the perfect camouflage on beaches where they build nests and lay eggs. Unfortunately, these small shorebirds are extremely sensitive to disturbances on their nesting beaches. Predation, habitat loss and degradation, as well as recreational use of nesting beaches – ATVs, off-leash dogs, beachgoers who accidentally disturb nests – pose the biggest threat to piping plovers.
basking shark
Basking sharks are the second largest fish in the world, coming second only to whale sharks. Although they can reach lengths of 12 metres, giving an intimidating impression, basking sharks are harmless to humans because they are filter feeders, filtering out plankton and small crustaceans from seawater. Basking sharks were historically targeted in Canada for liver oil by fisheries that operated in the 1940s. There was also an eradication program in western Canada in the 1940s and 1950s led by the Canadian government because it was believed that they were a nuisance to commercial salmon fishing. This program resulted in the near disappearance of basking sharks off the west coast of Canada.
leatherback sea turtle
Leatherback sea turtles are one of the oldest living animals on the planet – they’ve been swimming around the world’s oceans for more than 90 million years! They are also the largest turtle in the world, growing to more than two metres long and weighing 900 kilograms. It is estimated that there are fewer than 30,000 nesting female leatherback sea turtles today, due to human development on and destruction of nesting beaches, egg harvesting (which is now illegal but is still commonplace), and being caught as bycatch – accidental, non-targeted catch – in fisheries. Plastic pollution also poses a serious threat to leatherbacks, who easily mistake floating plastic waste for their favourite food source – jellyfish.
atlantic salmon
Atlantic salmon are known for their long, annual migrations from the ocean, upriver to freshwater environments where they spawn and lay eggs. They are an iconic species of the northern Atlantic Ocean and once supported large fisheries throughout their range. Although many wild populations of Atlantic salmon have all but disappeared or have been greatly reduced in the past few decades, Atlantic salmon remains one of Canada’s largest fish exports due to salmon farming, particularly on the Pacific coast of Canada.
beluga whale
Beluga whales are easily recognizable by their white colour, large size and bulging forehead, but did you know these iconic whales aren’t born white? In fact, they’re born a slate grey colour and it can take up to eight years to develop their distinct white colouration. There are seven recognized populations of beluga whales in Canada, however only one of them – the St. Lawrence Estuary population – is listed as endangered under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). The other six beluga populations have been assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as Threatened, Special Concern or Endangered, but they are not listed under SARA.
take action
While these endangered marine animals, and many others, face seemingly insurmountable threats – from fishing pressure, habitat destruction, bycatch, plastic pollution and the impacts of climate change – there is still time to save them. Oceana Canada works to address many of the challenges these animals face including campaigning to stop plastic pollution, protect habitat, save right whales and rebuild wild fish populations. Will you join us?
By becoming a Wavemaker, you’ll join a community of people dedicated to making a difference for the ocean, receiving urgent actions you can take to help marine animals and the latest ocean updates. Join here >>
