GI-2026-41-reg1: Order Amending Schedule 1 to the Species at Risk Act (Basking Shark Atlantic Population and 14 Other Wildlife Species)

The fishing industry is the primary sector affected, but overall costs are minimal. If you run a commercial fishing operation in Atlantic Canada that occasionally catches Porbeagle shark or Winter Skate as bycatch, you will no longer be able to keep and sell those fish — though your existing fishing licence will likely cover the incidental catch so you won't need a separate SARA permit. About 8 fishing enterprises reported Porbeagle bycatch and 20 reported Winter Skate bycatch in recent years; for most, those species represented less than 2% of total landed value, so the profit loss is negligible. Seafood processors linked to those fisheries face a combined estimated profit loss of roughly $1,400 per year. For the 5 species listed only as 'special concern' (like Basking Shark and Spiny Dogfish), no fishing restrictions apply at all — your operations are unaffected. The total incremental cost to all businesses across the 10-year period (2025–2034) is estimated at just $11,000, or about $1,500 per year.