COSEWIC annual report 2024 to 2025

Cover letter

October 16^th, 2025

The Honourable Julie Dabrusin
Minister of Environment and Climate Change
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0A6

Dear Minister Dabrusin,

Please find enclosed the 2024-2025 Annual Report of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), which I respectfully submit to you and to the Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council (CESCC). The submission of this report fulfills COSEWIC’s obligations under Section 26 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA), which requires that COSEWIC submit a report on its activities to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and members of CESCC annually. This Annual Report will also be available online through the SARA Public Registry.

As you know, COSEWIC’s role is to assess the conservation status of wildlife species in Canada. Under Item III, Wildlife Species Status Assessments, of the Annual Report, you will find information on how to obtain a copy of the status assignments for the wildlife species assessed in 2024-2025, the applicable criteria and the reasons for the status designation. The Status Reports containing the information used in the assessments are provided in the accompanying email. The reports will also be provided to CESCC members and will be available on the Public Registry.

Over the past year COSEWIC assessed a total of 26 wildlife species. Of these 26, COSEWIC re-examined the status of 16 wildlife species; of these, the majority (75%) were reassessed at the same or lower level of risk. To date and with the submission of this report, COSEWIC’s assessments now include 864 wildlife species in various risk categories including 378 Endangered, 201 Threatened, 263 Special Concern, and 22 Extirpated (that is no longer found in the wild in Canada). In addition, 25 wildlife species have been assessed as Extinct, 62 wildlife species have been designated as Data Deficient, and 200 have been assessed as Not at Risk.

The submission of this information fulfills COSEWIC’s obligations under Section 25 of SARA, which requires that COSEWIC provides the Minister of the Environment and the CESCC with a copy of the status assessments and the reasons for the assessments. It also fulfills our obligations under Section 24, which requires that COSEWIC review the classification of wildlife species at risk at least once every 10 years.

I have also included a copy of a report (An Effective and Sustainable Framework for Meeting Canada’s Biodiversity Commitments) that I hope will assist you in assessing some of the major challenges that COSEWIC is currently facing. While COSEWIC fully understands the need for adjustments to align with budgetary constraints and evolving policies, the Committee has a long-standing tradition of delivering high-quality work on a modest budget, largely because of the dedication and voluntary contributions of its members. However, ongoing resource limitations and policy shifts have had an impact on our ability to sustain the same level of output and quality that COSEWIC has historically provided. These concerns were echoed in the 2024 Auditor General’s report on Supporting Species at Risk Assessment and Reassessment – Environment and Climate Change Canada. COSEWIC has taken numerous steps to manage these constraints, but with capacity strained for so long, recent decisions have had a particularly significant and severe impact.

On behalf of the committee, I would again like to thank you for your continuing support for our work and the commitment of your ministry to the conservation and protection of Canada’s biodiversity.

Yours sincerely,

David Lee, Chair, COSEWIC

c.c. – Aura Pantieras, Director General, Wildlife Assessment and Information, Canadian Wildlife Service

COSEWIC Annual Report presented to The Minister of Environment and Climate Change and The Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council (CESCC) from The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) 2024-2025

Item I – COSEWIC activities

1. Wildlife species assessment meetings

Section 15 (1) of the Species at Risk Act states: “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

1. classify the species as extinct, extirpated, endangered, threatened, or of special concern,
2. indicate that COSEWIC does not have sufficient information to classify the species, or
3. indicate that the species is not currently at risk”.

Under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA), the foremost function of COSEWIC is to “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 wildlife species”.

As usual, COSEWIC held two Wildlife Species Assessment Meetings in this reporting year (October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025). One meeting was from November 25 to 28, 2024 and the other one was from May 5 to 8, 2025. During this reporting period, COSEWIC assessed the status or reviewed the classification of 26 wildlife species.

The wildlife species assessment results for the 2024-2025 reporting period include the following:

Extinct: 0

Extirpated: 0

Endangered: 10

Threatened: 7

Special Concern: 7

Data Deficient: 2

Not at Risk: 0

Total: 26

Of the 26 wildlife species examined, COSEWIC reviewed the classification of 16 wildlife species that had been assessed previously. The review of classification for 8 of those wildlife species resulted in a confirmation of the same risk status as the previous assessment (see Table 1a).

Data Deficient, Not at Risk, Extinct:

In May 2025, Bull Trout, Upper Yukon Watershed population was reassessed as Data Deficient. The Macropis Cuckoo Bee, previously assessed as Endangered, was also assessed as Data Deficient; this species is currently listed on Schedule 1 of SARA as Endangered.

Special Note: Eastern Massasauga was previously assessed as 2 populations; Carolinian population (Endangered), and Great Lakes / St. Lawrence population (Threatened). In May 2025, these 2 populations of Eastern Massasauga were assessed as one unit across Canada as Threatened (Table 1b), and the 2 previous populations were de-activated. The Carolinian population is currently listed as Endangered, and the Great Lakes / St. Lawrence population is currently listed as Threatened on Schedule 1 of SARA.

With the transmission of this report, COSEWIC provides assessments (see Table 1b) of 16 wildlife species newly classified as Extirpated, Endangered, Threatened, and of Special Concern to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to consider whether to recommend to the Governor in Council (GIC) that they be added to Schedule 1 of SARA.

Information pertaining to the wildlife species assessed since the last annual report can be found on the SARA Public Registry website at the following address: Species at risk public registry

A copy of the assessment details for these wildlife species, including status assigned, reasons for designation (including uncertainties if applicable), and COSEWIC criteria with alphanumeric codes can be found on the COSEWIC website at the following address: COSEWIC wildlife species assessment

Status reports containing information on COSEWIC’s status assessments will be available on the SARA Public Registry at the following address: Document search - Species at risk registry

As of May 2025, COSEWIC’s assessments include 864 wildlife species in various risk categories, including 378 Endangered, 201 Threatened, 263 Special Concern, and 22 Extirpated (that is no longer found in the wild in Canada). In addition, 25 wildlife species have been assessed as Extinct.

As of May 2025, 62 wildlife species have been designated as Data Deficient and 200 have been assessed and assigned Not at Risk status.

2. Important notes regarding status assessments

Section 27 of SARA states that the Governor in Council may, on the recommendation of the Minister, by order amend the List in accordance with subsections (1.1) and (1.2) by adding a wildlife species, by reclassifying a listed wildlife species or by removing a listed wildlife species, and the Minister may, by order, amend the List in a similar fashion in accordance with subsection (3).

During the period covered in the report, COSEWIC did not inform the Minister about any details related to status assessments.

In May 2025, COSEWIC assessed two species as Data Deficient: Bull Trout, Upper Yukon Watershed population, and the Macropis Cuckoo Bee. The Macropis Cuckoo Bee is currently listed on Schedule 1 of SARA as Endangered. COSEWIC recommends that this wildlife species be removed from Schedule 1 of SARA

Special Note: Eastern Massasauga was previously assessed as 2 populations; Carolinian population (Endangered), and Great Lakes / St. Lawrence population (Threatened). In May 2025, these 2 populations of Eastern Massasauga were assessed as one unit across Canada as Threatened (Table 1b), and the 2 previous populations were de-activated. The Carolinian population is currently listed as Endangered, and the Great Lakes / St. Lawrence population is currently listed as Threatened on Schedule 1 of SARA. COSEWIC recommends that these 2 wildlife species be removed from Schedule 1 of SARA.

3. Other wildlife species assessment activities

Emergency Assessments

Section 29 of SARA provides for the listing of a wildlife species based on an imminent threat to the survival of the wildlife species under an emergency basis. Section 30 (1) of SARA states that COSEWIC is to prepare a status report on the wildlife species and, within one year after the making of the order, COSEWIC must, in a report in writing to the Minister, (a) confirm the classification of the species; (b) recommend to the Minister that the species be reclassified; or (c) recommend to the Minister that the species be removed from the List.

No emergency assessments were conducted during the 2024-2025 reporting period.

4. Wildlife species assessments returned by the Governor in Council (GIC) to COSEWIC for further information or consideration

Section 27 (1.1) (c) of SARA provides for the Governor in Council to, on the recommendation of the Minister, refer an assessment of the status of a species back to COSEWIC for further information or consideration.

No wildlife species were referred back to COSEWIC for further consideration during this reporting period.

5. Wildlife species selected for status report preparation

Section 15.1 (b) of SARA states that one of the functions of COSEWIC is to “determine when wildlife species are to be assessed, with priority given to those more likely to become extinct”.

Following COSEWIC's process for prioritizing new wildlife species for assessment, 46 (including putative designatable units) wildlife species from COSEWIC's Species Specialist Subcommittees’ candidate lists were chosen by the Committee for status report commissioning in 2025 or later. The following is a list of those prioritized candidate wildlife species:

6. COSEWIC subcommittees

Section 18 (1) of SARA requires COSEWIC to establish subcommittees of specialists to assist in the preparation and review of status reports on wildlife species considered to be at risk, including subcommittees specializing in groups of wildlife species and a subcommittee specializing in Aboriginal traditional knowledge.

Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge subcommittee

COSEWIC’s Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge Subcommittee is responsible for ensuring that Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge (ATK) is used appropriately in COSEWIC’s assessment process. The Subcommittee consists of members appointed by the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change. The Co-chairs of the ATK Subcommittee are members of COSEWIC and provide COSEWIC with their expertise on ATK.

The following is a summary of activities over this past year:

• ATK Source Reports were prepared for Hooded Seal and Harp Seal (species bundle), Atlantic Salmon, Atlantic Sturgeon and American Eel (species bundle), and Yukon Chinook Salmon (9 Designatable units)
• ATK Special Report prepared on the Southern Mountain, Northern Mountain, and Central Mountain caribou populations
• ATK was integrated into the COSEWIC status Report on the Snowy Owl for the May 2025 assessment
• ATK was integrated into the COSEWIC status Report on the Atlantic Salmon scheduled for assessment in 2026
• Initiated facilitator contract to explore best practices and lessons learned; process review on the ATK Subcommittee.

COSEWIC extends its sincere gratitude to the members of the ATK Subcommittee for their ongoing commitment to ensuring that COSEWIC assessments are informed by the best available information.

Species Specialist Subcommittees

COSEWIC’s Species Specialist Subcommittees provide taxonomic expertise to the Committee. Each Species Specialist Subcommittee is led by two Co-chairs. The SSC is comprised of typically 10-12 members who are recognized Canadian experts in the taxonomic group in question with qualifications based on education, experience, and expertise of biology and conservation. These volunteer members are drawn from universities, provincial wildlife agencies, museums, Conservation Data Centres, and other organizations with specialization in biodiversity and conservation. They support the Co-chairs in developing candidate lists of wildlife species to be considered for assessment, commissioning status reports for priority wildlife species, reviewing reports for scientific accuracy and completeness, and proposing to COSEWIC a status for each wildlife species. Currently, COSEWIC has 10 Species Specialist Subcommittees: Amphibians and Reptiles, Arthropods, Birds, Freshwater Fishes, Marine Fishes, Marine Mammals, Molluscs, Mosses and Lichens, Terrestrial Mammals, and Vascular Plants.

For more information please see: Species Specialist Subcommittees

Species Specialist Subcommittee meetings take place annually in different locations in Canada. Observers are often invited to attend meetings to learn about the species at risk assessment process.

In addition to their continued work to help COSEWIC prioritize species assessments, Species Specialist Subcommittees ensure that high quality status reports are brought to each COSEWIC Wildlife Species Assessment Meeting. Species Specialist Subcommittees also periodically undertake special projects aimed at assisting their work.

COSEWIC is extremely grateful for the work of the Species Specialist Subcommittee members who provide their time and expertise on a volunteer basis.

7. COSEWIC operations and procedures

Section 19 of SARA states that COSEWIC “may make rules respecting the holding of meetings and the general conduct of its activities.”

COSEWIC is guided in its activities by an Operations and Procedures Manual that is reviewed annually by COSEWIC’s Operations and Procedures Subcommittee, which recommends any changes to the Committee for its approval. During this reporting period, the COSEWIC Operations and Procedures Manual was updated to reflect changes in COSEWIC’s procedures. Most of the changes that were approved by the committee in November 2024 were minor edits required to streamline various sections of the O&P following the changes to Appendix F5 that were approved in November 2023.

8. Procedural working groups

Section 18 (1) of SARA also allows COSEWIC to establish subcommittees to advise it or to exercise or perform any of its functions.

Procedural working groups are essential to ensuring COSEWIC’s operations and procedures are efficient, effective and followed clearly, thus maintaining the quality and consistency of COSEWIC status assessments and processes.

a) Press release

This Working Group was active before and during each Wildlife Species Assessment Meeting on the production of each press release.

b) Species prioritization

In the Fall of 2024, the Species Specialist Subcommittees (SSCs) were asked to select high priority Candidate species from their respective candidate lists for COSEWIC’s consideration. For each Candidate species, the SSCs were asked to generate their Candidate rationales and provide a RAMAS Red List file. The compiled list of high priority Candidate species and their supporting files were then circulated to COSEWIC’s federal/provincial/territorial jurisdictions, ATK Subcommittee, Non-government Scientist members, SSC Co-chairs, and Wildlife Management Boards for review. This preliminary review provided an opportunity for reviewers to provide SSC Co-chairs with relevant new information or missing information on Candidate species before the COSEWIC priority setting process. The Priority Setting Working Group (PSWG) met in February of 2025 to undertake the preliminary ranking process of the candidate species. The PSWG then held a meeting in March 2025 with the SSCs Co-chairs to resolve problems, ensure accuracy, and finalize priorities. The forty-six species that the PSWG submitted to COSEWIC were adopted as Candidate “wildlife” species at the May 2025 WSAM. These species are eligible for inclusion in the 2025 Call for Bids or later (CFB).

In preparation for COSEWIC’s 2025 CFB, the SSCs selected high priority reassessment species from their respective lists for consideration. The compiled list of reassessment species was circulated for jurisdictional review to provide SSC Co-chairs with relevant new information or missing information before the COSEWIC priority setting process. The Priority Setting Working Group (PSWG) met in February of 2025 to rank the high priority reassessment species.

c) Review of Classification

Since 2022, COSEWIC's Review of Classification working group has been developing a new approach for review of classification that would define it as a process to prioritize species for reassessment. A trial of the new process was undertaken in 2023-24. The new process is pending a vote by COSEWIC, which should take place in 2025-2026.

d) Designatable units

This working group continues to assist Species Specialist Subcommittees with implementing the updated Guidelines for Determining Designatable units. At the November 2024 COSEWIC Wildlife Species Assessment meeting, the working group explored the concept of establishing a "college of experts" to provide independent review of DU reports at appropriate junctures. This idea was revisited at the May 2025 meeting. The working group also delivered a presentation on weight of evidence (genetic data/analysis) at the May meeting.

e) Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

This working group has developed a workplan outlining key next steps to guide its efforts moving forward. Its top two priorities center on training and mentorship:

Enhancing understanding of Indigenous Knowledge systems and how they can inform and support COSEWIC assessments.

Strengthening onboarding for new COSEWIC members and providing ongoing learning opportunities for all members.

While these have long been recognized as COSEWIC priorities, dedicated capacity and funding are needed to make meaningful progress. Near-term actions for the EDI working group will be to scope and prepare a proposal, with input from the ATK Subcommittee, outlining training priorities for COSEWIC.

f) Criteria

At the November 2024 COSEWIC Wildlife Species Assessment meeting, the Co-Chairs of the working group, Bruce Bennett and Gina Schalk sought feedback from COSEWIC on COSEWIC’s interpretation of the Criterion A subcriteria (a) through (e). Based on this feedback and its own explorations, the working group proposed a replacement for the Criterion A footnote in COSEWIC’s Appendix E3, Table 2 at the May 2025 COSEWIC Wildlife Species Assessment meeting.

g) Threats Assessments

In 2024-25, the COSEWIC Threats Assessments working group continued internal discussions and with federal partners to have a consistent and efficient threats assessment process. In particular, there is a need to increase the number of available facilitators for threats assessments.

9. COSEWIC communications

COSEWIC and its Chairs over the years have made every effort to inform governments and the public about the work of the Committee. The COSEWIC Chair attended the regular face-to-face meetings during the 2024-2025 reporting period as well as several virtual meetings.

During the current reporting period, COSEWIC produced two press releases outlining the results of the fall 2024 and the spring 2025 Wildlife Species Assessment Meetings. The links to the COSEWIC press releases can be found on the COSEWIC website: COSEWIC - News and events

The Chair of COSEWIC gave virtual and in-person presentations on the work of COSEWIC to:

• Atlantic Salmon Federation
• Canadian Wildlife Directors
• Nunavik Marine Regional Wildlife Board

In addition, the Chair of COSEWIC had written correspondence or attended meetings regarding the following species.

• American Badger (Taxidea taxus)
• American Eel (Anguilla rostrata)
• Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)
• Atlantic White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
• Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas)
• Bert’s Predaceous Diving Beetle (Sanfilippodytes bertae)
• Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)
• Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus)
• Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
• Dolphin and Union Caribou (Rangifer tarandus)
• Eastern Wolf (Canis sp. cf. lycaon)
• Gray-headed Chickadee (Poecile cinctus)
• Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos)
• Kirtland’s Warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii)
• Lilliput (Toxolasma parvum)
• Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus)
• Narwhal (Monodon monoceros)
• Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens)
• Oslar's Roadside Skipper (Amblyscirtes oslari)
• Olympia Oyster (Ostrea lurida)
• Pahaska Skipper (Hesperia pahaska)
• Shortface Lanx (Fisherola nuttallii)
• Simius Roadside Skipper (Notamblyscirtes simius)
• Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)
• Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis)
• White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus)
• Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis)

The Chair also had the following meetings:

• Representatives from the Auditor General of Canada’s office regarding Assessment and the Species at Risk Act

Meetings with territorial and provincial officials regarding SARA:

• Drikus Gissing, Director, Department of Environment, Government of Nunavut
• Heather Sayine-Crawford, Director, Department of Environment and Climate Change, Government of the Northwest Territories

The Chair of COSEWIC has had several meetings regarding an increased focus on working collaboratively with the federal government on the implementation of SARA including:

• Aura Pantieras, Director General, Wildlife, Assessment and Information, Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Blair Hammond, Director, Pacific Region, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Chris Evans, Director General, Wildlife Management Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Christie Whelan, Manager, National Species at Risk Recovery Planning, Species at Risk Implementation Division, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Courtney A. Albert, Senior Negotiations Advisor, Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Lisa Robichaud, Senior Biologist, Aquatic Species at Risk, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
• Stacey O’Malley, Director, Office of the Auditor General of Canada
• Sophie Foster, Manager, Species at Risk and Aquatic Invasive Species, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
• Sybil Feinman, Species at Risk Listing, Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Tara Shannon, Assistant Deputy Minister, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada

Item II – COSEWIC membership

Section 16 of SARA states that (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. (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. (3) The members are to be appointed to hold office for renewable terms of not more than four years.

1. Membership changes

For a current list of members on COSEWIC, please see the COSEWIC website. COSEWIC members

Members from the Federal, Provincial or Territorial jurisdictions are recommended to the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change by the jurisdiction.

The Co-chairs of the ATK Subcommittee are elected by the ATK Subcommittee members and recommended to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change for appointment to COSEWIC. The Co-chairs and all ATK Subcommittee members are nominated by National Indigenous Organizations with the exception of two of its members who can be nominated by the ATK Subcommittee. Subcommittee members are appointed by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

Species Specialist Subcommittee Co-chairs and Non-government Science Members are recommended to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change by COSEWIC following an in-depth review process.

A call for six Species Specialist Subcommittee Co-chairs, and two Early Career Scientists, was posted on the COSEWIC website between January 29 and March 5, 2025. Selection Committees comprised of COSEWIC and Species Specialist Subcommittee members then evaluated the applications following procedures set out in COSEWIC’s Operations and Procedures Manual. The Chairs of each Selection Committee prepared reports summarizing the strengths and weaknesses of the applicants, which were discussed with COSEWIC during the species assessment meeting in early May 2025. Selected candidates were confirmed by COSEWIC, and their names and CVs were provided to the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change on August 15^th, 2025 for consideration of appointment. Members of CESCC were copied on this correspondence.

Item III – Wildlife species assessments

In accordance with Section 25(1) of SARA when COSEWIC completes an assessment of the status of a wildlife species, it must provide the Minister and the Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council with a copy of the assessment and the reasons for it. A copy of the assessment must also be included on the public registry.

Information pertaining to the wildlife species assessed since the last annual report can be found on the SARA Public Registry website at the following address: Species at risk public registry

The status reports will be available in English and French on the Public Registry at the following address: Document search - Species at risk registry

Item IV – Wildife species assessed by COSEWIC since its inception

In accordance with Section 25(2) of SARA, COSEWIC must annually prepare a complete list of every wildlife species it has assessed since the coming into force of that section and a copy of that list must be included in the public registry.

The Canadian Species at Risk publication is available on the Species at Risk Public Registry: COSEWIC List of wildlife species assessed (including October 2024) - Document search - Species at risk registry

It includes all wildlife species assessed by COSEWIC since its inception up to and including October 2024.