Canada's wildlife species contribute to the well-being of Canadians and the maintenance of healthy ecosystems. Wildlife diseases can affect the balance of national animal populations and have implications for human health, food security, and the country's agricultural and economic prosperity. The Government of Canada is committed to protecting the health of wildlife to ensure that healthy interactions between wild and domestic animals, and the Canadian public, are maintained.
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced today that the Government of Canada is investing $2.1 million over three years to support projects to improve our knowledge and management of issues related to wildlife diseases. The projects are being led by the national office of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, based at the University of Saskatchewan.
These projects include the development of new tools to track wildlife health and the risks of emerging infectious diseases. Work is also planned for identifying and predicting the impacts of climate change on wildlife health and will include avenues for action. In addition, education and outreach programs will be provided to non-governmental organizations, Indigenous groups, the provinces and territories, and Canadians, to encourage their participation in wildlife health surveillance.
A contribution was also made to address urgent coordination and data management needs related to highly pathogenic avian influenza in Canada. The objective is to consolidate communications and management of the cooperative, which includes many partners.
A project dedicated to bat health is also being funded. More specifically, this includes the effective coordination of surveillance programs for white-nose syndrome and emerging zoonotic diseases, and the identification of the potential critical habitat for three endangered species: the Little Brown Bat, the Northern Bat, and the Tri-colored Bat.
