A new report finds Canada's 'antiquated' legal system stands of the way of Fraser River gaining legal personhood, a path other jurisdictions have used to protect nature.
Canada’s “antiquated” legal system is standing in the way of giving the Fraser River "legal personhood" — a strategy that has become increasingly popular around the world in recent years as a way to prevent the destruction of entire ecosystems.
The Lower Fraser remains the largest salmon-bearing river in Canada; its estuary operates as one of the most important stopover sites for migratory birds in Western North America. But in recent years, the number of returning salmon populations dwindled, with the average sockeye salmon return falling by 35 per cent over the past decade, compared to prior years, according to the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
“Environmental law as it currently stands in Canada doesn't protect the environment per se. It just allows for and permits certain levels of pollution and exploitation, and that fragments the natural environment into siloed resources,” said Pasternak.Federal approval of the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 this spring made that especially clear, Walters said.
A push to recognize rivers and forests as legal people By giving nature inherent rights, countries such as Colombia, India and New Zealand have tried to put in place guardian systems that uphold the rights of rivers like a caretaker might ensure the rights of a person in their care.
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