Marginal note:Establishment

14. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada is hereby established.

Marginal note:Functions

• 15. (1) The functions of COSEWIC are to

  • (a) assess the status of each wildlife species considered by COSEWIC to be at risk and, as part of the assessment, identify existing and potential threats to the species and

    • (i) classify the species as extinct, extirpated, endangered, threatened or of special concern,

    • (ii) indicate that COSEWIC does not have sufficient information to classify the species, or

    • (iii) indicate that the species is not currently at risk;

  • (b) determine when wildlife species are to be assessed, with priority given to those more likely to become extinct;

  • (c) conduct a new assessment of the status of species at risk and, if appropriate, reclassify or declassify them;

  • (c.1) indicate in the assessment whether the wildlife species migrates across Canada’s boundary or has a range extending across Canada’s boundary;

  • (d) develop and periodically review criteria for assessing the status of wildlife species and for classifying them and recommend the criteria to the Minister and the Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council; and

  • (e) provide advice to the Minister and the Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council and perform any other functions that the Minister, after consultation with that Council, may assign.

• Marginal note:Best information and knowledge

  (2) COSEWIC must carry out its functions on the basis of the best available information on the biological status of a species, including scientific knowledge, community knowledge and aboriginal traditional knowledge.

• Marginal note:Treaties and land claims agreements

  (3) COSEWIC must take into account any applicable provisions of treaty and land claims agreements when carrying out its functions.

Marginal note:Composition

• 16. (1) COSEWIC is to be composed of members appointed by the Minister after consultation with the Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council and with any experts and expert bodies, such as the Royal Society of Canada, that the Minister considers to have relevant expertise.

• Marginal note:Qualifications of members

  (2) Each member must have expertise drawn from a discipline such as conservation biology, population dynamics, taxonomy, systematics or genetics or from community knowledge or aboriginal traditional knowledge of the conservation of wildlife species.

• Marginal note:Term of appointment

  (3) The members are to be appointed to hold office for renewable terms of not more than four years.

• Marginal note:Not part of the public service of Canada

  (4) The members are not, because of being a member, part of the public service of Canada.

• Marginal note:Remuneration and expenses

  (5) The members may be paid remuneration and expenses for their services in amounts that the Minister may set.

• Marginal note:Discretion

  (6) Each member of COSEWIC shall exercise his or her discretion in an independent manner.