Order Acknowledging Receipt of the Assessments Done Under Subsection 23(1) of the Act: SI/2023-13
Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 157, Number 10
Registration
SI/2023-13 May 10, 2023
SPECIES AT RISK ACT
Order Acknowledging Receipt of the Assessments Done Under Subsection 23(1) of the Act
P.C. 2023-362 April 21, 2023
Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of the Environment, acknowledges receipt, on the making of this Order, of the assessments done under subsection 23(1) of the Species at Risk Act footnote a by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) with respect to the species set out in the annexed schedule.
SCHEDULE
Endangered Species
Arthropods
Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
Monarque
Threatened Species
Arthropods
Bumble Bee occidentalis subspecies, Western
(Bombus occidentalis occidentalis) Bourdon de l’Ouest de la sous-espèce occidentalis
Special Concern
Arthropods
Bumble Bee mckayi subspecies, Western
(Bombus occidentalis mckayi) Bourdon de l’Ouest de la sous-espèce mckayi
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Order.)
Proposal
This Order acknowledges receipt by the Governor in Council (GIC) of the assessments regarding the status of three wildlife species (listed in Annex 1) done by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) under paragraph 15(1)(a) of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and in accordance with subsection 23(1) of that Act.
Objective
The objective of this Order is to establish the nine-month timeline set out in subsection 27(1.1) of SARA for the GIC to either add the species identified in the report to the List, decide not to add the species to the List or to refer the matter back to COSEWIC for further information or consideration.
Background
COSEWIC was formed as an independent scientific body in 1977 with a mandate to provide a single, official, scientifically sound, national classification of wildlife species at risk in Canada. COSEWIC provides the Minister of the Environment with assessments of the status of Canadian wildlife species.
COSEWIC has completed assessments for the Monarch and two subspecies of the Western Bumble Bee (mckayi, occidentalis) undertaken pursuant to subsection 23(1) of SARA. The Monarch is a conservation icon and one of the most well-known and well-studied butterflies in the world. The species has four life stages. The Monarch is one of a few butterflies that migrate, and their migration from southern Canada to Mexico has been described as an endangered biological phenomenon. The Monarch is used in classrooms all over North America to teach children about biology, metamorphosis, conservation, and an appreciation for nature.
The Western Bumble Bees (mckayi, occidentalis) are medium-sized bumble bees with a short head. The abdomen colour is variable, but all individuals have a transverse band of yellow hair on the thorax in front of the wing bases, and the tip of the abdomen is almost always white. The mckayi subspecies ranges in Canada from northern British Columbia through the southern Yukon and westernmost Northwest Territories, and the occidentalis subspecies ranges from southern British Columbia through southern Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Of the three COSEWIC assessments, the two subspecies of the Western Bumble Bees are new assessments, and the Monarch is an assessment recommending reclassification.
Implications
In response to the assessments, the Minister of the Environment will propose a second order (the Listing Order) which will include a recommendation to the GIC to amend Schedule 1 (List of Wildlife Species at Risk) in accordance with COSEWIC’s recommended designation for the species. The proposed Listing Order will be published, along with the Regulatory Impact Assessment Statement (RIAS), in the Canada Gazette, Part I, for a 30-day public comment period.
Before making the final listing recommendations for the species to the GIC, the Minister of the Environment will take into consideration comments and any additional information received following this publication. Under subsection 27(1.1) of SARA, the GIC may, on the recommendation of the Minister, (a) accept the assessment and amend the List accordingly; (b) decide not to amend the list; or (c) refer the matter back to COSEWIC for further information or consideration.
Contact
Paula Brand
Director
SARA Management and Regulatory Affairs
Canadian Wildlife Service
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Gatineau, Quebec
J8Y 3Z5
Telephone: 1‑800‑668‑6767
Email: LEPreglementations-SARAregulations@ec.gc.ca
Annex 1 — COSEWIC assessment of three species
| Legal population name | Scientific name | Current status | COSEWIC status assessment | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Bumble Bee mckayi subspecies | Bombus occidentalis mckayi | None | Special concern | Yukon, Northwest Territories, British Columbia |
| Western Bumble Bee occidentalis subspecies | Bombus occidentalis occidentalis | None | Threatened | British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan |
| Legal population name | Scientific name | Current status | COSEWIC status assessment | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monarch | Danaus plexippus | Special concern | Endangered | British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia |