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Governments of Canada and Manitoba Reach Conservation Agreement on Boreal Caribou

The Government of Canada is committed to protecting and conserving nature and to halt Canada’s biodiversity loss. Boreal caribou, famously depicted on Canada’s 25-cent coin, are an iconic species that play a significant role in the culture and history of Indigenous Peoples. However, the boreal caribou is threatened and its populations are in decline. Federal and provincial governments, Indigenous Peoples and other stakeholders must work together to ensure the species’ recovery and protection.

Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development Minister Greg Nesbitt, announced that the governments of Canada and Manitoba have reached a three-year agreement to support the conservation and recovery of boreal caribou in the province. Environment and Climate Change Canada has provided nearly $1 million to support ongoing actions under the draft agreement and is committed to fund additional conservation measures in the coming years.

Conservation measures included in the agreement will support caribou conservation and recovery in the province and advance the recovery framework laid out in Manitoba’s 2015 Recovery Strategy for Boreal Woodland Caribou. The Manitoba government is committed to finalizing and implementing range plans by 2025 and undertaking measures such as caribou population and habitat monitoring. The conservation measures were informed by the work and many collaborations that the Manitoba government has carried out over the years with various Indigenous and industry partnerships.

Quotes

“Canada joined with the global community in December in Montreal to reaffirm the urgency of safeguarding the world’s nature. The COP15 agreement only strengthened our government’s commitment to halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030. Iconic Canadian species such as the boreal caribou are declining. We need to reverse the situation and the only way to do this is by working together with provinces, territories, Indigenous peoples, and stakeholders. This is why we support the Manitoba government’s conservation and protection measures and its commitment to protecting the boreal caribou.” — The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

“Boreal caribou are highly important to the boreal ecosystem and have special significance to Indigenous peoples and other Canadians. This threatened species requires unified efforts to ensure its conservation and long-term existence in Manitoba. We are pleased to work in collaboration with the federal government to put forth increased efforts in recovery measures to protect boreal caribou. A healthy caribou population is a positive indicator of the health of boreal forests and Manitoba will continue to lead in caribou recovery and conservation across North America.” — Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development Minister Greg Nesbitt