"The federal government's chronic delays in producing recovery strategies for Canada's endangered wildlife are forcing species already struggling to survive to wait even longer for the protection they desperately need," said Devon Page, Ecojustice executive director. "Worse, not having these recovery strategies in place makes it impossible for regulators to consider the full environmental impact of major projects like the Northern Gateway pipeline."

The lawsuit challenges the federal government's multi-year delays in producing recovery strategies for four species — the Pacific Humpback Whale, Nechako White Sturgeon, Marbled Murrelet and Southern Mountain Caribou. The habitat for all four species would be impacted by the construction and operation of the Northern Gateway pipeline, among other proposed developments.

Ecojustice lawyers are acting on behalf of five environmental groups in this lawsuit: David Suzuki Foundation, Greenpeace Canada, Sierra Club BC, Wilderness Committee and Wildsight.