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Answers to some frequently asked questions about COSEWIC and its assessment process. About COSEWIC
COSEWIC Assessment Process
COSEWIC in a broader context
What is the purpose of COSEWIC? The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) is formally recognized recognized by the Species at Risk Act (SARA) as the authority for assessing the conservation status of species that may be at risk of extinction in Canada. This is important because the first and fundamental step in wildlife protection is determining which wild species are in some danger of disappearance. COSEWIC uses the best available scientific, community and Aboriginal knowledge to evaluate risk of extinction. How long has COSEWIC been active? Although it was legally established by SARA in 2003, COSEWIC has been operating since 1977 and made its first designations in 1978. Who are the members of COSEWIC? Members of COSEWIC are academics, independent specialists, Aboriginal people, government biologists, museum staff or independent biologists who volunteer their time and efforts. Members have considerable experience with wildlife and biological science including Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge, ecology, genetics, wildlife and fisheries management, systematics and/or risk assessment, coupled with years of field experience. All members come to COSEWIC to do COSEWIC business, concentrate on the facts, and leave their various other concerns outside the door. In total, there are 30 voting members on COSEWIC. The voting membership of COSEWIC consists of a co-chair each of its nine Species Specialist Subcommittees and a co-chair from the Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge Subcommittee, members from each provincial and territorial government wildlife agency, four federal agencies (Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Federal Biodiversity Information Partnership, chaired by the Canadian Museum of Nature), and three non-government science members. Government members are nominated by their agencies, non-government science members are selected by COSEWIC following open competitions. All members must demonstrate that they possess the required expertise to serve on the Committee. Does COSEWIC look at all Canadian species? COSEWIC does not routinely examine all species living in Canada. Its Species Specialist Subcommittees encompass the following taxonomic groups:
COSEWIC does not regularly consider other organisms such as echinoderms (e.g., starfish), algae or corals. COSEWIC can, however, consider species in these or other groups if a suitable status report is received from a third party. Status reports must be prepared according to COSEWIC's Instructions for the Preparation of Status Reports. Does an increasing number of species designated by COSEWIC mean there is a worsening endangered species crisis? Not necessarily. The increase in number of species designated as being at risk of extinction mostly reflects the pace at which COSEWIC can fully investigate and designate species suspected of being at risk. COSEWIC is far from finished reviewing every species in every group it has been asked to investigate. Therefore, comparisons of numbers of species assessed by COSEWIC in the past to the number of species assessed today do not show that there is, or is not, a trend in the rate at which species are becoming endangered. The set of species designated by COSEWIC is not exhaustive. Early in COSEWIC's history, the number of endangered and threatened birds and mammals grew quickly, mostly because COSEWIC concentrated on these better-known species. COSEWIC has expanded its scope and its assessments are now dominated by fish and plant species because these groups are particularly numerous, not necessarily because they are more at-risk than they were before. Arthropods are the most recent additions to COSEWIC's mandate. Although arthropods include about 2/3 of the world's species, and probably many arthropod species are at risk, relatively little is known about them. Thus, the number of arthropods designated by COSEWIC is expected to remain small relative to the number of arthropods in Canada due to lack of information. The numbers and proportions of birds, mammals, fish, and arthropods etc. that have been designated by COSEWIC to date are largely a function of time and data availability. Does COSEWIC focus its efforts on species that it thinks might be at greater risk of extinction? Yes, COSEWIC investigates principally those species suspected of being at risk of endangerment (COSEWIC keeps a list of these species in its Candidate List). It focuses on these species because the designation process is thorough and time-consuming, and it is not worthwhile for COSEWIC to spend time on species that are obviously not at any risk. COSEWIC will not commission status reports in the near future on American robins, raccoons, or black spruce. Therefore, most of the species that COSEWIC assesses end up designated as being at risk of extinction. Even though COSEWIC chooses species thought to be at risk of extinction, when COSEWIC makes its assessments, it strives always to neither overestimate nor underestimate a species' status. COSEWIC has implemented a rigorous quantitative criteria system based on that used by the IUCN (World Conservation Union) to help the Committee in its assessments. Much of COSEWIC's deserved reputation for integrity rests on its demonstrated commitment to unbiased review of the best available biological information, community knowledge, and Aboriginal traditional knowledge contained in detailed status reports. Some species that have been designated by COSEWIC are common in the United States or another country. Why does COSEWIC designate these species? COSEWIC is asked to investigate wildlife in Canada. Thus, all species whose ranges extend into Canada, or which reside wholly in Canada, are part of COSEWIC's mandate and their level of extinction or extirpation risk in Canada may be evaluated by COSEWIC. If a species is more abundant in another country, the Committee will consider its risk of extinction or extirpation from Canada to be lower if individuals could potentially immigrate and successfully reproduce in Canada. What happens when the conservation status of a COSEWIC species gets better or worse? COSEWIC keeps track of species that it has assessed in the past in case their situation improves or worsens. COSEWIC strives to re-examine the status of each previously-assessed at-risk species at least every ten years (or earlier, if warranted). All new and pertinent information on the species is included in an update report. On the basis of that information, the species may be placed in a greater risk category if its status has worsened, it may remain in the same category if its status is unchanged, or it may be placed in a lower-risk category if its status has improved. A species may be moved to the "Not at risk" category if its situation has sufficiently improved. COSEWIC reports over 440 species at risk. Will all of them be extinct in the next few years? Neither the loss nor the continued survival of any of the species assessed by COSEWIC is guaranteed. When making its assessments, COSEWIC considers the risk of extinction or extirpation of species from Canada, if current conditions persist. All species designated as "endangered" or "threatened" are at some risk of being lost from Canada in the short or medium term, but even species assessed as "endangered" are not necessarily at risk of disappearing within a few years. Species have evolved over millions of years and any human-caused loss of a species would be a tragedy. Species assessed by COSEWIC as "endangered" are thought to have a significant probability (at least 20%) of extinction over the next 100 years if current conditions persist. Species assessed as "threatened" are likely to become "endangered" if conditions persist. "Special concern" species are those to watch even if they are not in imminent danger of disappearance from Canada. It is up to federal and provincial governments to implement protection and recovery measures for species that have been assessed by COSEWIC as being at risk of extinction. What evidence does COSEWIC use? When making its designations, COSEWIC uses the best available information on a species, including scientific and Aboriginal or community knowledge on a species' biology, population status, range, and possible threats. For example, COSEWIC may draw on information from a student's masters or Ph.D research, or may use a review from Aboriginal knowledge holders (with permission) to help make a decision about a species' status. All available information useful for status assessment is presented within a status report that is commissioned for each species and is used by COSEWIC as the principal source of information during the species' status assessment. The information in a status report does not come only from published, scientific sources. A concerted effort is made to include all relevant and credible information from all sources, whether from scientists or not. In many cases, government surveys are a major source of information. In some regions of Canada, particularly in the North, and for some species, the best information available is not in published sources but resides with people who live on the land and have intimate familiarity with the animals and plants around them. For some species, long-term observations contributed by hundreds or thousands of people (such as bird atlas information) are available. All of this information, the best available, is pertinent to COSEWIC's designation process. Why does COSEWIC sometimes consider subspecies and populations for separate designation? COSEWIC's usual approach to assigning status is, first, to examine the species as a whole, and then, if deemed appropriate, to examine the status of designatable units below the species level. There are a few situations in which units below the species level may be assessed separately. For example, if one subspecies was thought to be at risk while other subspecies were clearly not at risk, COSEWIC will only examine the subspecies suspected to be at risk. COSEWIC's mandate is to inform Canadians about the conservation status of wildlife species. In some cases, a single designation for the species as a whole may not convey an adequate representation of that species' conservation status. Where more than one subspecies occurs in Canada and they are found to be at different levels of risk, COSEWIC will designate them separately in order to more precisely specify those risks. This may also apply, when justifiable, to distinct populations isolated from others of the same species and inhabiting a different ecological region of the country. There is almost always evidence, even in the absence of a formal taxonomic designation, that the population is genetically distinct. For brevity, COSEWIC and SARA refer to all of these designated entities "species". Why would COSEWIC make an emergency designation? Sometimes, available information suggests that a species might be at such grave risk that it may go extinct in a short period of time and that COSEWIC's normal assessment process (which typically takes two to four years) may be unacceptably slow. In these cases, COSEWIC can consider assessing a species on an emergency basis if requested by an outside party. COSEWIC would then ratify its Emergency Assessment decision in due course based upon a full report that will be examined by the full committee. This procedure is rarely used. For example, the Oregon Spotted Frog (Rana pretiosa) from British Columbia was designated endangered in an emergency designation in November 1999. Evidence provided in a preliminary status report suggested that there were only about 200-300 breeding adults in Canada and their wetland habitat was highly fragmented. The species was also in trouble throughout its range in the United States. COSEWIC's emergency assessment allowed recovery plans for the species to be started in time for the following early-spring breeding season. When does COSEWIC make its decisions? COSEWIC meets at least once a year, usually in April or May, to consider new and updated reports and to make its status determinations. If required, the committee holds a second meeting in the fall. Are the meetings public? The meetings are not open to the public except for a press conference at the end to announce the new and updated assessments. COSEWIC may discuss sensitive information (such as locality information, or trade value) that may affect a species' well-being and that must be kept confidential. Members must be at liberty to speak freely as independent experts during a meeting to enable the committee to discuss all aspects of the risk assessment. Can I attend a COSEWIC meeting and try to persuade the committee of my point of view? Observers may attend a COSEWIC meeting at the discretion of the chair of the Committee so long as they apply in advance in writing, have information of value they may be able to contribute, and agree to abide by COSEWIC's rules of procedure and confidentiality. Because the committee deliberates solely on the basis of available information, it cannot be lobbied and its decisions will not be influenced by special interests. COSEWIC is apolitical and is not interested in opinions, but it welcomes useful information from any credible source. Information useful for status assessment is best contributed during the writing of Status Reports. How does COSEWIC justify its designations? Reasons for designation are available through our database search page. A reason for designation is a short justification of the status category that was assigned to the species by COSEWIC. The reason for designation typically provides information about population sizes, trends in population size (increasing or decreasing), past, current or future threats to the species' existence, or biological characteristics that make the species particularly susceptible to extinction. Why is Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge included in species assessments? Aboriginal People participated in the development of the Species at Risk Act and have treaty and Aboriginal rights recognized by Canada's Constitution. Information from Aboriginal sources benefits species assessments because it is based, in some cases, on a multi-generational association with the species and its habitat. The Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge (ATK) Subcommittee of COSEWIC is working with COSEWIC to develop the protocols, processes and procedure by which COSEWIC can access ATK to help it assess the status of species at risk. How is community knowledge included in species assessments? Community knowledge is an important source of information on species. Community knowledge may come from many sources, including people who hunt or fish or from people who live closely with the land. There are a number of ways that community knowledge can be included in status reports. Writers of COSEWIC status reports are instructed to contact anyone who has expertise on the species and its status in Canada. If community knowledge is associated with an individual who is well known for his or her expertise, the report writer will most likely be aware that the knowledge is available. Report writers also are required to contact federal and provincial agencies and Wildlife Management Boards in the North. These sources may have additional contacts or information for the report writers on available community knowledge. A holder of community knowledge can be pro-active by first referring to a current list of assessments in progress and then by informing the COSEWIC Secretariat that they have information on a particular species that could be useful for status assessment. The Secretariat can direct the information to the co-chair overseeing the preparation of the report. In an effort to increase its use of Community Knowledge in the species assessment process, COSEWIC encourages all people, groups or organizations in possession of useful knowledge on species to contact the Committee through a questionnaire. Is COSEWIC part of the federal government's Species at Risk Act? The Species at Risk Act (SARA) identifies COSEWIC as one of its key components. The Act mandates COSEWIC to use the best available scientific, Aboriginal and community knowledge to assess the status of species that may be at risk of disappearing from Canada. Species assessed by COSEWIC are taken into consideration by the Government of Canada when establishing the official List of Wildlife Species at Risk. Why aren't the assessments of COSEWIC automatically legal? Under the Species at Risk Act (SARA), it is up to the federal government, which is politically accountable, to legally protect species assessed by COSEWIC. COSEWIC has been established as an advisory body, to make accurate designations based on the best available scientific, Aboriginal and community knowledge. What is the Species at Risk Act Public Registry? The Species at Risk Act Public Registry (www.SARAregistry.gc.ca) is an online service that provides access to information and documents relating to the Species at Risk Act (SARA). COSEWIC status reports and species assessments for species listed and protected under SARA are among the many documents that are available. Why isn't it called the "COSEWIC List" anymore? In 2005, COSEWIC updated its website and other documentation to remove the word "list" in phrases such as "COSEWIC's list" and "listed species." This was done to avoid confusion with the species identified as part of the Legal List of Species at Risk under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). The change highlights the fact that species designations by COSEWIC are independent, and based on the best available scientific, Aboriginal and community knowledge; but carry no legal implications unless legally listed under SARA (which also considers potential economic and social implications of legal protection). From now on, COSEWIC will be using terms such as "COSEWIC's assessments", "COSEWIC species designations", and "assessed species" instead of phrases such as "COSEWIC's list" or "COSEWIC's listed species". For the same reason, the publication produced after each COSEWIC species assessment meeting has been renamed to "Canadian Species at Risk". I can find many of the species that are on COSEWIC's website on the Species at Risk and the Public Registry websites. Why are there three sites? The COSEWIC website provides information on the wildlife species that have been, or will be, designated by COSEWIC. COSEWIC recommends to the federal government species for inclusion in the SARA's legal List of Species at Risk in Canada. Because COSEWIC makes independent decisions about the status of species, it uses its own website to provide information to the public. Included on COSEWIC's website are COSEWIC's assessment process, summary and detailed assessment information for all species assessed by COSEWIC, and information on how to locate species status reports. The Public Registry website (www.SARAregistry.gc.ca) provides the List of Species at Risk in Canada. It is the species in this list that qualify for legal protection and recovery under the Species at Risk Act. The List of Species at Risk is, in large part, based on the assessments of COSEWIC, and provides information to the public on species legally listed as Extirpated, Endangered, Threatened or Special Concern. Included in the Public Registry for these species are COSEWIC status reports, COSEWIC species assessments, response statements, recovery plans, action plans and/or management plans. The Public Registry also provides information and Status Reports on a subset of other species that were assessed by COSEWIC, such as those assessed as being at risk, but that were not included by the government in the SARA legal list of Species at Risk in Canada. The Species at Risk website (www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca) is a resource developed and maintained by the Canadian Wildlife Service of Environment Canada to provide lay-person information on species that are legally listed under SARA. The non-specialist can use search tools to find information on species' biology, population and distribution, habitats, threats, and protection. The website also details recovery efforts for species. Why do many provinces and territories have their own "species at risk" and their own legislation? Is COSEWIC duplicating their efforts? No, it's a matter of scale. Most provinces and territories have lists of species that they consider to be at risk of extinction in their jurisdictions, and their own legislation to protect these species. Many species that are thought to be at risk in a province and territory are also considered to be at risk on a Canada-wide basis by COSEWIC. When there are differences, it may be because a species is particularly at risk in one province or territory, but more common in the rest of Canada (or vice versa). More information on species at risk programs in provinces and territories may be found by visiting these sites directly. Does the Wild Species website provide yet another list of "species at risk"? No. The Wild Species 2000 report (and the upcoming 2005 report) is used as a first step in determining the status of all Canadian species at a coarse scale. It determines which species are secure for now, which to keep an eye on, and which may need formal assessment (e.g., by COSEWIC, or provincial or territorial equivalents). It results from the collaboration of federal, provincial and territorial governments responsible for wildlife conservation in Canada. The focus is upon the general status of all species, rather than only endangered species. The General Status ranks in the Wild Species report(s) do not replace evaluations by COSEWIC or by provincial and territorial equivalents, which provide in-depth, targeted reviews of knowledge about individual species that may be at risk. COSEWIC uses information from the Wild Species report as a source of information in developing its lists of high priority species for assessment (see Candidate List). COSEWIC status reports draw upon the information collected and generated by the Wild Species report(s). The Wild Species website and the Wild Species 2000 report are available at: www.wildspecies.ca. A number of the species on IUCN's (World Conservation Union's) Red List have also been designated by COSEWIC. Why are there sometimes differences in status for the same species? Understanding the scale of evaluation is the key to understanding why there may be differences in status. The Species Survival Commission of the IUCN (World Conservation Union) generates a list of species threatened with extinction globally. This is called the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN operates on a global scale, whereas COSEWIC evaluates the risk of extinction for species that occur in Canada. This difference in scale of assessment means that there will be some species considered to be at risk in Canada that are not on IUCN's Red List because they are more common worldwide. This does not diminish the importance of recognizing them (this is COSEWIC's job), studying them, and protecting them in Canada, for Canadians. The reverse is also true: there will sometimes be situations where a species is at risk globally, but is relatively abundant in Canada. Again, the assessment of the risk of extinction in Canada is perfectly valid. COSEWIC formally acknowledges these situations for species that extend across the Canadian border by considering the effect that outside populations can have on Canadian populations (the rescue effect). |
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