Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to participate in the debate on Bill C-275, an act respecting the protection and rehabilitation of endangered and threatened species, tabled in the House on September 28, 1994 by the member for Davenport.
This bill provides for the identification, protection and rehabilitation of flora and fauna in Canada threatened or endangered by human activity and for the protection of habitat and the restoration of population. It gives the Minister of the Environment a mandate to develop and implement programs to restore and maintain these species.
I congratulate the member for Davenport for tabling this bill and for his devotion to the cause of ecology. The goal is a very plausible one.
It must be said that, despite international conventions and the very important United Nations conference on development and the environment held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, I note that, generally, countries and governments do not do enough in this area.
As you know, I come from Chile, which, like other countries in Latin America, has rich flora and fauna. However, there as well, certain species are threatened and endangered. There is the condor, for example, a huge and majestic bird that lives in the Andes, or the llamas or the guanacos. These are species that inhabit the countries of the Andes, Peru, in particular, and Chile. Fortunately, for the first time, the Chilean government has enacted legislation on the environment. Another example is Costa Rica, which has very special and wonderful flora and fauna and is also doing a lot to preserve its natural wealth.
Efforts in species preservation must be concerted. National and international co-operation must be established. Fish, marine mammals and migratory birds must be protected first and foremost. This bill provides for the creation of two organizations: the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada and the Committee on the Recovery of Nationally Endangered Wildlife.
It also authorizes any citizen to submit an application to the Minister of the Environment to have species added to or removed from the list of threatened or endangered species. The minister will have six months to respond to such applications and will have to table a full report on June 1 each year on the matter.
Canada still has a lot of work to do, despite its fine international reputation in environmental matters. In November 1994, the Minister of the Environment published a working document advocating the strengthening of laws to protect species threatened with extinction in Canada. In addition she announced new federal legislation in this area. At the moment in Canada, 236 species of flora and fauna are endangered, threatened or at risk.
Since the 17th century, Canada has lost at least 14 species of bird, mammal and fish. The situation worsens each year. These species are lost due to human activity. Over hunting is the most serious threat. There are fewer and fewer old forests. Wildlife is threatened by chemical pollution in the environment. Acid rain, air pollution and global warming add to the pressures on these species.
Canada should apply more firmly the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna. It must put a stop to the over harvesting of endangered species in the world as a whole. Illegal trade in certain wild animals has almost led to their extinction.
I would like to take a moment to voice my criticism at the decision by the Nova Corporation of Calgary, which was awarded the contract to build a pipeline between Argentina and Chile, and, to save money, will cross right through the city of Pirque and has already started cutting through extremely rare and ancient trees in Chile along the way. The Chilean parliament recently adopted a resolution supporting the demands of the population of Pirque, a city located at the foot of the Andean Cordillera, who want the gas pipeline to be kept at a distance from their city.
That resolution also calls for a complete study on the environmental impact to be carried out before the pipeline is constructed. In my opinion, Canadian companies in other countries ought to respect the same environmental standards as those in effect in Canada. I have taken the liberty of writing to the Minister of the Environment deploring this situation and asking that she intervene with the management of the Nova Corporation of Calgary to ensure that it will comply in Chile with the standards already in force in Canada. I would ask the same of all Canadian corporations who invest in other countries. There is a moral duty to respect the minimum legislation already in place in Canada.
Although this is typically a provincial responsibility, much to our dismay only four provinces have passed legislation to protect these species, and I am referring to Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick and Manitoba.
I am delighted to say that for years Quebec has had its own legislation and its own Department of the Environment and Wildlife, one of whose objectives is to protect threatened species.
The federal government has limited jurisdiction in this area. It is responsible for the preservation of fauna and flora on federal lands, for instance, parks managed by Ottawa. It is also responsible for regulating international and interprovincial trade and for preventing illegal trafficking in endangered species. However, it should not encroach on provincial jurisdictions, and especially Quebec's.
This legislation has raised many questions in this regard. The Quebec Minister of the Environment and Wildlife, Jacques Brassard, has already announced his own strategy for the preservation of Quebec's biological diversity. He has asked the federal government to remain within the sectors that are its exclusive responsibility.
My Bloc Quebecois colleagues, the hon. members for Laurentides and Anjou-Rivières-des-Prairies, previously commented in considerable detail on the subject during the debate last June.
Although the bill's objectives are indeed praiseworthy, I cannot support this legislation because it encroaches on provincial jurisdictions, and more particularly that of Quebec.
Once again I would like to congratulate the hon. member for Davenport on his dedication to environmental issues, which I fully support, but I also wish to inform him that the Bloc Quebecois will vote against this bill.