NAGOYA, Japan -- October
29, 2010 -- Canada, alongside 192 other
Parties, today adopted an international
Protocol that addresses the fair and equitable
sharing of benefits
arising from the use of genetic resources
found in plants, animals and microorganisms.
The 10th Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on Biological Diversity (COP10)
brought nations together in Nagoya, Japan,
from October 18 to 29, 2010, to work on
finalizing an agreement.
"Canada is proud
to join the international consensus in adopting
the Nagoya Protocol as it presents solutions
that work for all Parties, and ultimately
for biodiversity and the rich natural inheritance
we all share", declared the Honourable
Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment.
"Canada has a long history of support
for the Convention on Biological Diversity
and has worked tirelessly to shape an effective
Protocol on access and benefits sharing
(ABS) that balances the obligations of both
users and providers of genetic resources
and that recognizes the importance of traditional
knowledge."
"We are also pleased
that an ambitious and achievable strategic
plan for protecting biodiversity into the
future has also been agreed. This post-2010
framework will sustain momentum, spur new
efforts and make an important contribution
to preserving biodiversity around the globe.
We look forward to working with our many
partners, internationally and in Canada,
to protect our natural inheritance."
In recent years, the
Government of Canada made substantial investments
to halt biodiversity loss, now protecting
close to 100 million hectares of land, nearly
10% of Canada's land mass, 5.6 million hectares
of our oceans and Great Lakes, and taking
action to protect species at risk and their
habitat. Canada also has one of the best
national park systems in the world and has
grown it by 30% in 4 years.
Canada was the first
developed country to ratify the Convention
on Biological Diversity in 1992 and has
hosted the Secretariat to the Convention
since 1996.
In addition to adopting
the Nagoya Protocol, the Government of Canada
demonstrated that its commitment to conservation
goes beyond Canadian borders, with a $40
million contribution to the World Bank to
address deforestation and forest degradation
in developing countries, as part of its
$400 million contribution this year in fast-start
financing under the Copenhagen Accord.
Pascale Boulay
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
+ More
Government of Canada
Partners with Ducks Unlimited to Conserve
Valuable Habitat in Montérégie
CHÂTEAUGUAY, Que.
-- October 15, 2010 -- Canada's Environment
Minister, the Honourable Jim Prentice, today
joined the representatives of Ducks Unlimited
Canada to announce the acquisition, for
conservation purposes, of the Marguerite-d'Youville
Wildlife Refuge. The project was funded
in part by Environment Canada's Natural
Areas Conservation Program, with an overall
budget of $1,375,000.
"This acquisition
marks another achievement under our government's
Natural Areas Conservation Program. With
this investment, we are taking real action
to protect and conserve our ecosystems and
sensitive species for present and future
generations," said Minister Prentice.
"All your actions, large or small,
will help to protect the abundance and variety
of life that is part of our natural heritage."
"The natural character
and size of the Marguerite-d'Youville Wildlife
Refuge are impressive, especially so close
to Montréal. This exceptional site
required action, particularly due to the
pressure for its development that we are
seeing. Given that 70% to 90% of urban wetlands
have disappeared in Quebec, you will understand
that our action is all the more justified,"
said Bernard Filion, director of Ducks Unlimited
in Quebec.
The 213-hectare property
located on île Saint-Bernard contains
173 hectares of wetlands, representing 45%
of the wetlands in the municipality of Châteauguay.
The natural shorelines on the north and
east of the island provide a series of gravelly
and sandy beaches bordered by a bulrush
marsh. The west and south shores, located
along the Châteauguay River, contain
aquatic grass beds. This is a remarkable
site for wetland birds and one of the best
sites in Quebec for the Least Bittern, a
threatened species in Canada under the Species
at Risk Act. The project's geographic location
makes it particularly valuable because of
the extent of wetland losses and degradation
in the Montréal region over the past
few decades.
In this International
Year of Biodiversity, the Government of
Canada has made a commitment to the long-term
conservation of biological diversity and
is collaborating with partners, including
Ducks Unlimited Canada, for the protection
of the natural heritage aspect of sites.
The Marguerite-d'Youville Wildlife Refuge
site is a fine example of this.
The Government of Canada's
$225-million Natural Areas Conservation
Program is an important on-the-ground initiative
that takes real action to preserve Canada's
environment and conserve its precious natural
heritage for present and future generations.
It is through the ongoing contribution from
all donors that we can ensure the protection
of natural areas in Canada. As of July 2010,
under the Natural Areas Conservation Program
over 138,800 hectares (342,982 acres) have
been secured, protecting habitat for over
79 species at risk.
For further information, contact:
Pascale Boulay
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
