Schedule 1 Amendments: Red Knot and Others

Summary#

This is a proposed Order Amending Schedule 1 to the Species at Risk Act (Certain Wildlife Species of Red Knot and Four Other Wildlife Species). It would update how nine species (several Red Knot populations plus four non‑bird species) are listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA)—some would be removed, some downlisted or uplisted, and one group split into three separate populations. The notice was published on December 21, 2024 and the government invited comments for 30 days.

What it does#

• Updates Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) to reflect recent assessments by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).
• Specific changes (common name → change):
  • Aweme Borer → remove from Schedule 1 (strike from the list).
  • Cobblestone Tiger Beetle → Endangered to Special concern.
  • Lakeside Daisy → Threatened to Special concern.
  • Seaside Centipede Lichen → Endangered to Threatened.
  • Red Knot islandica subspecies → Special concern to delist (no longer at risk).
  • The former Red Knot roselaari type is split into three distinct population units:
    • Red Knot roselaari subspecies → remains Threatened.
    • Red Knot rufa subspecies (Northeastern South America wintering population) → Special concern.
    • Red Knot rufa subspecies (Southeastern USA / Gulf of Mexico / Caribbean wintering population) → Endangered.
    • Red Knot rufa subspecies (Tierra del Fuego / Patagonia wintering population) → renaming only (remains Endangered).
• Practical legal effect (plain terms):
  • For species that are delisted or moved to special concern, SARA’s automatic protections for listed species would no longer apply on non‑federal land.
  • For species that remain threatened or endangered, SARA protections and recovery planning requirements continue.
  • For migratory birds that remain listed, their nests and eggs keep legal protection across Canada under the Migratory Birds Convention Act and SARA.

Who's affected#

• The nine wildlife populations named in the order (the species themselves and places they live).
• People and groups working on or using affected lands where the species occur:
  • federal agencies (including Environment and Climate Change Canada and Parks Canada),
  • Indigenous communities and organizations whose territories overlap some of these species (the government identified four species overlapping modern treaty areas),
  • land managers, researchers and anyone who needs a permit to work with listed species on federal land or reserves.
• Provincial and territorial governments. Some provinces already list these species under their own laws and some raised concerns about socioeconomic effects during consultation.
• Conservation groups, scientists, and nature‑based tourism or birdwatching interests that follow or manage these species.

Why it matters#

• It changes which species get federal recovery plans and which get lighter management plans or no federal listing at all. That affects what recovery actions may be required and where protections automatically apply.
• Splitting the Red Knot roselaari type into three population units could help make recovery planning more specific to different wintering areas. It also changes protection for one of those new units (downlisted to special concern) and uplists another to endangered.
• The government’s cost estimate: total administrative costs over a 10‑year analysis period are about $310,000, with avoided costs of $75,000, giving a net incremental cost of $235,000. The analysis also notes estimated permit‑related costs of $18,500 for applicants and $35,000 for the federal government (not all of which are incremental to this order).
• The proposal was developed after consultations with Indigenous groups, provinces, stakeholders and the public. It is still a proposal — it would take effect only when the Order is registered. Comments were invited for 30 days from publication.