Minister to attend resource ministers meeting in Saskatchewan

Tom Osborne, Minister of Environment and Conservation, will be joining his federal, provincial and territorial counterparts in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on October 5 for the annual meeting of the Canadian Council of Resource Ministers (CCRM) and the annual meeting of the Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council (CESCC).

Minister Osborne said he is looking forward to discussing a number of issues of common interest with his colleagues who are responsible for wildlife and endangered species. Agenda items for the CCRM meeting include a new action plan on invasive alien species, a national biodiversity framework and a Canadian Wildlife Disease Strategy. Agenda items for the CESCC meeting include Bilateral Agreements, COSEWIC and recovery programs.

�Maintaining the province�s biological diversity for future generations is of key importance to government and our ongoing efforts in the area of biodiversity and species at risk in our department�s Wildlife Division demonstrate this,� said Minister Osborne. �Our efforts include investigating the concepts of sustainability, looking at the impacts of alien species and managing the recovery of our species at risk. As well, in the future, our province will be developing a strategy on biological diversity involving other government departments and interested groups. I look forward to hearing about the experiences of other jurisdictions regarding this issue during the meeting in Saskatoon.�

Minister Osborne added that the annual meeting of ministers responsible for wildlife resources provides a good opportunity for all provinces to exchange ideas and hold productive discussions on issues and initiatives that impact our efforts to protect our species that are at risk and manage our wildlife in a prudent and sustainable manner.

Media contact: Sonia Glover, Communications, (709) 729-2575, 685-6612

2005 10 04                 9:40 a.m.