COSEWIC assessments acknowledged for three species

Summary#

The Order Acknowledging Receipt of the Assessments Done Under Subsection 23(1) of the Act: SI/2023-13 records that COSEWIC has submitted status assessments under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) for three species. That receipt begins a nine-month clock for the Governor in Council (GIC) to decide what to do next about listing them on Schedule 1.

What it does#

• Acknowledges that the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has completed assessments for:
  • Monarch (Danaus plexippus) (recommendation: reclassify to Endangered)
  • Western Bumble Bee occidentalis subspecies (Bombus occidentalis occidentalis) (recommendation: Threatened)
  • Western Bumble Bee mckayi subspecies (Bombus occidentalis mckayi) (recommendation: Special concern)
• Starts the nine-month period in which the Governor in Council (GIC) must, on the Minister’s advice, either:
  • add the species to Schedule 1 (the List of Wildlife Species at Risk), or
  • decide not to add them, or
  • send the assessment back to COSEWIC for more information.
• Signals that the Minister of the Environment will prepare a separate Listing Order and a Regulatory Impact Assessment Statement (RIAS) for public comment. That proposed Listing Order and RIAS will be published in the Canada Gazette, Part I for a 30-day comment period.

Who's affected#

• People and organizations in provinces and territories where the species occur:
  • Monarch (Danaus plexippus): found across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia (per the COSEWIC assessment).
  • Western Bumble Bee mckayi (Bombus occidentalis mckayi): ranges in Yukon, Northwest Territories, and British Columbia.
  • Western Bumble Bee occidentalis (Bombus occidentalis occidentalis): ranges in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.
• Conservation groups, researchers and wildlife managers who follow species listings and recovery work.
• Landowners, farmers, beekeepers and gardeners in the regions above who may be affected if a species is later added to Schedule 1 and federal measures follow.
• The general public and stakeholders who can submit comments during the upcoming 30-day consultation on any proposed Listing Order.

Why it matters#

• This order is an early, procedural but important step in the federal process that can lead to official listing under SARA. If the GIC adds a species to Schedule 1, that usually opens the way for federal recovery planning and measures aimed at preventing extinction or reducing threats.
• The Monarch is widely known and used in education and outreach; a move toward Endangered status can increase public attention and conservation action.
• The two Western bumble bee subspecies are native pollinators. Their status recommendations may signal concern for pollinator health in parts of western and northern Canada, which matters for ecosystems and agriculture.
• The order itself does not change legal protections; it simply starts the formal decision timetable. The next steps (the proposed Listing Order and public comment) will spell out possible regulatory changes.