JOHN REYNOLDS NAMED CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF ENDANGERED WILDLIFE IN CANADA

Environment and Climate Change Canada announced the appointment of John Reynolds as chair of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) for a two-year term.

Reynolds is a professor of Aquatic Ecology and Conservation at Simon Fraser University where he has held the Tom Buell BC Leadership Chair in Aquatic Conservation since 2005.

Reynolds has been recognized for his exceptional work in fish and bird conservation and continues to be a frequent advisor to the federal and provincial governments about threats facing BC’s ecosystems.

Since 2002, COSEWIC has been responsible for advising the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change on the listings under Canada’s Species at Risk Act.

Reynolds is appreciative of COSEWIC goals to draw attention to the plight of Canada’s threatened species; from butterflies to orchids and whales.

He says, "Over the 40 years of its existence, the panel of experts who volunteer their time to COSEWIC have been using the best available scientific evidence to decide which species of plants, animals, and lichens are under the greatest threat.” 

For example, Reynolds was pleased to note that last year COSEWIC reviewed the results of decades of recovery efforts aimed at the iconic Peregrine Falcon.

“The data told us that we could inform the federal government that this species was no longer at risk of extinction in Canada" he proudly says.

Outgoing COSEWIC Chair, Eric Taylor says, "Even though we often deal with difficult news and limited data, the work is very meaningful, and we all have the same goal – an evidence-based assessment of the risk of extinction of Canadian wildlife species.”

Reynolds started his term as chair on September 1^st, 2018.