Workshop 82
What is the scientific meaning of the word "recovery" in Canada's Species at Risk Act?
    Session Organizer: Susan Pinkus

Description: The meaning of the word “recovery” is central to the implementation of Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA): the word appears in the definition of critical habitat; it helps define the goal of conservation action under SARA; permits for harmful activities can be issued under SARA only if they do not jeopardize a species' recovery. Yet SARA does not define the word "recovery." Its legal meaning will thus be informed by its normal usage in a conservation biology context. Though work has been done on the meaning of recovery under the US Endangered Species Act (ESA), there are significant differences between SARA and the ESA that affect the usage and thus meaning of the word recovery. There has been little scientific discourse so far about the meaning of recovery specifically under SARA. This workshop will use short presentations to set the legal and scientific context for a discussion about what conservation biology can recommend towards a meaning of recovery under SARA.