Who is COSEWIC?

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife gets money from the federal government, but stays at arm’s-length from the government and makes independent decisions.

Every year since 1978, COSEWIC has drawn up lists of wildlife and plant species its members believe to be in danger of extinction in Canada.

The committee is made up of scientific experts from across Canada and includes representatives from wildlife management agencies as well as governments.

COSEWIC’s assessments are forwarded to the federal minister of the environment and help form the legal list of species at risk under the Species at Risk Act. If they’re on the list, hunting may be prohibited or reduced.

These are the northern species COSEWIC believes are facing imminent extirpation or extinction:

* Bowhead whale (Eastern Arctic)
* Bowhead whale (Western Arctic)
* Beluga whale (Eastern Hudson Bay)
* Beluga (Ungava Bay)
* Peary caribou

These are other species COSEWIC believes are likely to become endangered unless something is done to protect them:

* Peregrine falcon
* Beluga (Cumberland Sound)
* Eskimo Curlew
* Ross’s Gull

These are species in addition to the walrus, which live in the Arctic, that COSEWIC believes are “of special concern” and sensitive to human activities or natural events:

* Beluga (Eastern High Arctic-Baffin Bay)
* Beluga (Western Hudson Bay)
* Polar bear
* Grizzly bear
* Narwhal