The Committee on the Status of Species at Risk (COSSAR) assesses the biological status of a species in New Brunswick believed to be at risk under the following designations: extirpated, endangered, threatened, special concern, not currently at risk, or indicates that it does not have sufficient information to classify the wildlife species.
Species at Risk designations and definitions:
- “extirpated species” – a wildlife species that no longer exists in the wild in the Province but exists elsewhere in the wild.
- “endangered species” – a wildlife species that is facing imminent extirpation from the Province or extinction.
- “threatened species” – a wildlife species that is likely to become an endangered species if nothing is done to reverse the factors leading to its extirpation.
- “species of special concern” – a wildlife species that may become a threatened species or an endangered species because of a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats.
COSSAR uses a consensus decision-making process using best available information, based on a status report provided by the Minister, which includes information such as: distribution, abundance, population trends, habitat requirements, habitat trends, threats, and current protections
Criteria used by COSSAR have been developed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List categories:
COSEWIC quantitative criteria and guidelines for the Status Assessment of Species
A – Decline in total number of mature individuals
B – Small distribution range and decline or fluctuation
C – Small and declining number of mature individuals
D – Very Small or Restricted population
E – Quantitative Analysis
Priorities for species assessment by COSSAR include the following:
- Species which occur in New Brunswick that have been assessed by COSEWIC as at risk after 2013.
- Species which occur in New Brunswick that have been assessed by COSEWIC as at risk before 2013. These species were automatically added to the current NB Species at Risk Act with the national status, but they have not been assessed provincially.
- Species that were originally listed as endangered under the former NB Endangered Species Act and were automatically carried over as endangered under the current NB Species at Risk Act
COSSAR shall review the classification of each species at risk at least once every ten years.
For more information on COSSAR, see the COSSAR page.
N.B. Registry
The COSSAR assessment and the status report for a species are published in the public registry.
New Brunswick Species at Risk Public Registry
The Minister may withhold as confidential and omit from the public registry any information that, in the opinion of the Minister, might compromise the conservation of a wildlife species.
Emergency Designation
The Minister may make an emergency designation of a wildlife species as an endangered species if it is felt that there is an imminent threat to the survival of the species. A status report must be prepared and provided to COSSAR for assessment without delay.