Three Freshwater Fish Reclassified as Endangered

Summary#

This is a proposed Order Amending Schedule 1 to the Species at Risk Act to reclassify three small freshwater fish from "threatened" to "endangered" on the federal list. It follows new scientific assessments by COSEWIC and was published in the Canada Gazette on January 25, 2020; the proposal is open for comment for 30 days.

What it does#

• Reclassifies these three fish on Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act:
  • Carmine Shiner (a small minnow found in parts of Manitoba)
  • Rainbow Smelt — Lake Utopia large-bodied population
  • Rainbow Smelt — Lake Utopia small-bodied population
• Maintains the same legal protections that already apply under the Act. The rules that make it an offence to kill, harm, or trade listed individuals, or damage their residences, apply equally to species listed as threatened or endangered.
• Shortens the legal deadline for producing a recovery strategy: for newly listed endangered species the government must prepare a recovery strategy within one year (instead of two years for threatened species).
• Confirms existing conservation planning: recovery documents for the Carmine Shiner and the Lake Utopia small-bodied Rainbow Smelt already exist and will be used or amended to cover the large-bodied population.

Who's affected#

• The three fish themselves and the waters where they live: the Carmine Shiner in the Whitemouth and Winnipeg river systems (eastern Manitoba) and the two Rainbow Smelt populations in Lake Utopia (southwestern New Brunswick).
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada and other federal conservation staff who prepare and update recovery strategies and action plans.
• Local conservation groups, researchers, and partners who work on recovery actions for these species.
• The notice says there are no expected new costs or changes for fishers, businesses, Indigenous peoples, or the wider public because the same prohibitions already applied when the species were listed as threatened.

Why it matters#

• It brings the federal list in line with recent scientific assessments by COSEWIC, signalling that these populations face a higher risk of disappearing from Canada.
• The change can speed up formal recovery planning (shorter deadline), which may prompt earlier or more focused conservation work in the affected rivers and lake.
• Because the legal protections do not change, there should be no sudden new restrictions for people or industries — but the reclassification underscores the urgency of recovery efforts and may guide funding and management priorities.