Mountain Caribou Assessments Referred Back

Summary#

The Order titled List of Wildlife Species at Risk (referral back to COSEWIC) Order (SI/2022-7), registered February 16, 2022, sends three mountain caribou assessments back to COSEWIC for more information or consideration. It also directs the Minister of the Environment to post a public statement explaining why the referral was made.

What it does#

• Refers the COSEWIC assessments for these caribou groups back to COSEWIC for further work:
  • Caribou (Northern Mountain population)
  • Caribou (Central Mountain population)
  • Caribou (Southern Mountain population)
• Requires the Minister of the Environment to post the reasons for the referral on the Species at Risk Public Registry.
• Explains the main reasons for the referral:
  • Uncertainty about how the three designatable units were drawn, including limited genetic information (this dates back to the DU work in 2011 and COSEWIC’s 2014 assessments).
  • A lack of formal inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in making the population or boundary decisions.
  • Recent changes in some herd sizes — notably a reported drop for a group of herds from about 3,700 to about 2,000 animals — that could affect status conclusions.

Who's affected#

• Indigenous communities in and near mountain caribou ranges, because the referral highlights the need to better include Indigenous knowledge in assessments.
• COSEWIC, the federal scientific committee, which must re-examine the assessments.
• Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Minister of the Environment, who will manage the public explanation and follow-up.
• Conservation groups, provincial and territorial governments, wildlife managers, and local communities who follow caribou status and habitat protections.
• Resource and land-use sectors (for example forestry and development projects) that operate in caribou range, because listing changes can affect protections and permitting.

If it is unclear who is affected: the Order itself does not immediately change legal listings; the exact set of protections that might change depends on the outcome of COSEWIC’s further work.

Why it matters#

• Status listings determine whether specific federal protections and habitat safeguards apply. The referral is about getting better evidence before any change is made.
• If future reassessments lead to different grouping or lower threat categories for some herds, those herds could lose some protections tied to being listed as threatened or endangered — with practical effects on land management and project approvals.
• The Order signals the government wants more genetic data and stronger inclusion of Indigenous knowledge before final decisions. That could change how herds are defined and which areas get conservation priority.
• For people living, working, or hunting in caribou country, the referral means continued uncertainty while COSEWIC does more work — but also a possible change in protection outcomes depending on the new information.