Two members of our Conservation and Research team are making significant contributions to the protection of Canadian wildlife through the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). 

COSEWIC is an independent advisory panel that assesses wildlife species at risk of extinction and provides recommendations to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Dr. Stephen Petersen, Director of Conservation, and Dr. Courtney Shuert, Conservation Manager, serve on COSEWIC subcommittees alongside wildlife biology experts from academia, government, non-governmental and Indigenous organizations, and the private sector. 

The Species Specialist Subcommittees (SSCs) that Dr. Petersen and Dr. Shuert serve on meet annually to assess at-risk species and recommend a status. There are SSCs for different taxonomic groups, like arthropods (insects) and birds, and one that focuses specifically on Indigenous knowledge. Dr. Petersen currently serves as Co-Chair of the Terrestrial Mammals SSC (animals that primarily live on land), and Dr. Shuert was recently appointed to the Marine Mammals SSC in 2025. 

Each SSC collects all the information and produces a status report for the larger committee, which meets twice a year to review and discuss each status report and then assign a status update. For example, the committee recently evaluated the Grizzly bear and assessed it to be a Special Concern species, which means that it could become threatened if the threat increases.

The status recommendation is then given to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. The government then determines which species require legal protection (aka are listed under the Species at Risk Act) after they consult with the public.

The panel's assessments focus solely on scientific evidence, Indigenous knowledge, and community knowledge, without considering political, social, or economic factors. Their evaluations examine population trends, threats, biological data, and other factors relevant to each species' conservation status. 

"It's a great honour to be appointed to this impactful committee, and I look forward to helping shape the future of Canada's marine mammals across its three oceans," says Dr. Shuert. 

Both Dr. Petersen and Dr. Shuert will meet with their respective subcommittees later this year to continue their important work protecting endangered species in Canada.