Olivier Graham

Biodiversity is threatened in our own backyard, and economics may be the factor determining which plant and animal species live and which species die.

Scientists estimate there may be in the range of 20 million to 30 million species on Earth, of which only about 1.8 million are known to science, but human activity has been interrupting the balance of animals, plants and micro-organisms. In a world where economics rule over ecology, the value of biodiversity is often only appreciated in economic terms. In a paper entitled, The Economic Value of Biodiversity, professor Jeff Bennett of the Australian National University explains that the economist’s approach to the role of biodiversity focuses on what makes people better off.

The grizzly bear, a marquee Alberta animal, has plummeted in population from more than 1,000 in 2002 to less than 400. Historically, the number of grizzly bears in Alberta has been in the 6,000 to 7,000 range. Similarly, the Banff springs snail, a tiny invertebrate found nowhere else on Earth, is precariously close to vanishing. The snail functions as an indicator species, telling scientists how the thermal springs ecosystem is doing. It is also extremely vulnerable; its entire population can fit inside an ice cream cone at certain times of the year. While both are valuable macro and micro links in Alberta’s ecosystems, the diminutive snail has endangered species status whereas, ironically, the mighty grizzly does not.

Why one species and not the other? The snail attained endangered species status nationally through Parks Canada’s Species at Risk Act. It inhabits a number of thermal springs in Banff National Park, is found nowhere else in Canada, and with a compromised population, assessing the little creature as endangered seems straightforward. In contrast, while grizzly numbers in Alberta are low, they are stronger elsewhere, like in B.C., so the animal could not as easily gain national status as threatened or endangered.

The grizzly bear could attain threatened or endangered status in Alberta, but it has not. Perhaps, if the Alberta grizzly vanishes, bears from B.C. could repopulate this province. Dr. Robert Barclay, professor of biological sciences at the University of Calgary, explains this likely wouldn’t work. “We don’t know how much exchange there is between bears in B.C. and bears in Alberta — the Alberta population may be distinct from the B.C. population, so if we wipe them out in Alberta, they may not be able to repopulate here.”

The future doesn’t look promising. In 2002, the province’s endangered species conservation committee recommended grizzlies receive threatened status when the count was around 1,000 — it never happened. “The numbers certainly warrant changing the status,” Barclay says. “Based on new census information [possibly less than 300 bears], if they thought [the grizzly] was threatened before, I would assume they wouldn’t say less than that now.”

According to Darcy Whiteside, spokesperson for the department of Sustainable Resource Development (SRD), “We made a commitment to do more extensive population studies and habitat mapping before designating them as threatened.” Whiteside says new census information will be ready late next year, and the numbers will be reviewed with guidance from stakeholders and organizations like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). However, the IUCN recommends categorizing a species as threatened if the number of mature breeding individuals is less than 1,000 and endangered if the number is less than 250. Whiteside says the government is working in partnership with scientists, Parks Canada, industry and environmental groups, and admits it could be moving faster, but says it wants to move forward in appropriate ways.

Dr. Brian L. Horejsi, wildlife scientist and founder and director of the Speak Up For Wildlife Foundation, believes the difference between the case of the snail and the bear isn’t as innocuous as it might appear “Snails are not a threat to the favoured alliances with industry and corporations. They don’t present a threat to oil and gas, timber, grazing, the hospitality industry or the off-road vehicle lobby.”

Horejsi says, “there is no rationale to what is happening in Alberta, except that we are dealing with [a government] that has chosen to favour one public resource [oil and gas, timber] to the exclusion of others.”

The snail has scientists dedicated to its research, monitoring and recovery efforts. It has been re-established in two of the thermal springs where it once lived. Security and surveillance measures have been enacted in its habitat and fines have been imposed for anyone who disturbs its habitat. Meanwhile, the spring grizzly hunt has been suspended (not cancelled) and education programs have been introduced to help prevent bad interactions between humans and bears.

Barclay, who was part of a provincial grizzly bear recovery team and is now part of a new grizzly bear research advisory committee (after the minister of SRD disbanded the recovery team), suggests other recommendations from such committees need to be acted on, like identifying key areas that are high-quality grizzly habitat and managing human access to those areas. “The sooner they designate those areas and create safe havens, the better,” he says. “We’ve got to pick up the pace. By protecting grizzly habitat, we protect habitat for other species that live there.”

Horejsi warns, “Until the people realize that this is happening, this will continue in a sharp downward spiral. We’re tearing down the house to keep the fire going. The Alberta government is systematically and deliberately damaging the environment to enrich themselves and a small select group of their friends.”

Concerned about grizzlies?

Send your thoughts to: The Honourable Ted Morton, Minister of Sustainable Resource Development, 420 Legislature Building, 10800 97 Ave. Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6, foothillsrockyview@assembly.ab.ca.