Lance Barrett-Lennard

In early May, the Canadian federal government released a discussion paper proposing ways to accelerate approval of major industrial projects in the name of strengthening Canada’s economy and sovereignty. Buried within the paper is a proposal to override section 73(3)(c) of the Species at Risk Act, commonly known as the “jeopardy clause.” This provision prohibits the federal government from authorizing activities that are likely to jeopardize the survival or recovery of endangered species.

The government of Canada could push through a monumental change to SARA any day now. Among the species most affected would be Southern Resident killer whales Author of the article: Misty MacDuffee, Lance Barrett-Lennard, Chris Genovali Published Jun 05, 2026  •  Last updated Jun 05, 2026  •  3 minute read You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

Misty MacDuffee , Lance Barrett-Lennard , Chris Genovali Updated Fri, June 5, 2026 at 11:00 p.m. UTC 3 min read Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. The federal government acknowledged the seriousness of the situation for the southern resident killer whale population in its 2024 imminent threat assessment, concluding that unless threats are reduced, the whales' survival and recovery may become unlikely -- or even impossible.