Species at Risk (SAR) are plants and wildlife that are at risk of extinction. The federal and provincial governments develop lists of species at risk, which receive legal protection under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) and/or Ontario’s provincial Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA).
The status of a species is assessed by an independent body of experts using the best-available science and Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge. The independent federal body of advisors is the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and the provincial body is the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO). The designations assigned by these committees are considered by the federal and provincial governments when updating legal statuses of species.
SAR Status Updates
SAR statuses are updated regularly to reflect changes in the species populations over time and available information. For example, the Greenside Darter is a species found in the Sydenham River, it was listed as Special Concern in 1990 but was reassessed as Not at Risk in 2006.
The federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) and the Ontario Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA) automatically protect species classified as extirpated, endangered or threatened as well as their habitat. Through the 1996 Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk, the federal, provincial, and territorial governments agreed to develop complementary legislation and programs to effectively protect SAR throughout Canada.
For species listed as threatened, endangered or extirpated, it is illegal to:
In order to rehabilitate and protect populations of SAR, they undergo the Recovery Planning process.
Information on species listed federally and provincially can be found on online through the federal SARA Public Registry at www.sararegistry.gc.ca and for provincial SARO at www.ontario.ca/page/species-risk-ontario.
Treasures of the Sydenham
The critically endangered Northern Riffleshell mussel is only known to occur in two Canadian rivers, the East Sydenham River and Ausable River, which together support 25% of their global population.
© 2026 · St. Clair Region Conservation Authority - The Sydenham River Watershed