I just returned from the spring species assessment meeting of COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) that was held in Halifax, NS, April 24-May 2. Functioning independently from government, COSEWIC is a committee of scientists that advises the federal government on the conservation status of wildlife species in Canada under the Species at Risk Act. I am a co-chair of the freshwater fishes subcommittee and thus serve as a member of COSEWIC.
At the Halifax meeting, 27 wildlife species were assessed including various plants, bees, northern mountain caribou, and the porbeagle shark. The theme that emerged from the recent meeting’s assessments was that even species that are widespread geographically can be fairing poorly from a conservation standpoint (various species of bees and the wolverine are good examples). This press release describes the various species-specific assessments.
Photos: [Top & Thumbnail] Bee Pollinating Flower, Wikimedia Commons by user Roo73.
[Bottom] Caribou closely related to Northern Mountain Caribou, Flickr by Denali National Park
http://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm.