Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on ParliamentToday, a Village Media newsletter devoted exclusively to covering federal politics.

OTTAWA – Environment Commissioner Jerry DeMarco is calling for a “rethink” of how Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) supports one of its advisory committees, warning that staying the course could lead to the extinction of more large number of species.

DeMarco made the call after filing five audit reports on Thursday, one of which focused on the department’s support for the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).

Considered the “first step” in identifying measures to protect, manage and recover species at risk, this organization was created in 1977 and meets twice a year to advise the Minister of the Environment Steven Guilbeault on the measures Ottawa must take.

The ministry provides administrative, financial and technical services to the committee, while helping it prepare its work plans, approve its budget and publish its documents.

According to the audit, the committee received between $1.2 million and $1.9 million annually from the ministry over the past three years, mainly to cover travel costs and report preparation contracts.

The audit found that during this period, the target number of assessments and reassessments related to endangered species dropped from 80 to 60 without justification – with DeMarco pointing out that targets were missed each time.

“Assessing the species is the crucial first step. We cannot protect or manage its recovery without first evaluating,” he explained to reporters in Ottawa, comparing “the extent of support” given to the work to that provided in the 1970s.

“There was a common theme that the department was setting a goal and not even devoting enough resources to achieve that goal. Unfortunately, the response has been to simply reduce the target every year, which only exacerbates the problem,” he added in response to a question from Parliament today.

COSEWIC has already identified In Canada, 25 species have gone extinct this year, but DeMarco warned that other species awaiting assessment could slip through the cracks if the government doesn’t treat the issue as a priority.

“We could lose species without even knowing that they need to be protected and restored,” he warned.

Among DeMarco’s recommendations is that the federal government set targets while keeping in mind “the urgency of the biodiversity crisis and the need to respect Canada’s international commitments.”

The ministry agreed, promising to work with COSEWIC to “determine the level of support needed to achieve the appropriate annual targets within available resources” – appearing to suggest that there are no plans to change its budget at this time. horizon.

The federal government also said it wants COSEWIC to take a “risk-based approach” to the targets so that those most at risk are prioritized and get “timely assessments.”