COSEWIC

COSEWIC, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, is an independent scientific body that assesses the status of Canada’s wild species to inform federal decisions under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). Established in 1977, COSEWIC provides Canada-wide status assessments and designatable units, identifying species at risk and helping to set conservation priorities.

Composition and mandate: COSEWIC is composed of scientists and experts from federal, provincial and territorial governments, academia, Indigenous organizations, and non-governmental groups. A chair, appointed by the Governor in Council, leads a multi-disciplinary assessment panel, with a COSEWIC Secretariat coordinating work, review, and publication. Assessments are based on scientific evidence about distribution, population trends, threats, biology, and conservation measures, and may cover designatable units that reflect distinct populations or subspecies.

Assessment process: Nominations can be submitted at any time. COSEWIC prepares status reports and conducts assessments, often through two public meetings per year, with external peer review. The committee assigns one of several designations: Extinct (X), Extirpated (Ex), Endangered (E), Threatened (T), Special Concern (SC), Not at Risk (NAR), or Data Deficient (DD). Reports and designations may be revised as new information becomes available.

Relationship to policy: COSEWIC findings are advisory; the Government of Canada uses them to determine whether a species should be listed or re-listed under SARA’s Schedule 1. Not all COSEWIC decisions result in protection, but they influence recovery planning, critical habitat designation, and resource allocation.