We've all seen circumstances in which a pipeline or a tar sands project, let's say, has been proposed for an area, and someone determines or suggests that one of the species that would be affected by the project may be at risk. Its population may be in such low numbers that it could be wiped out and made extinct.
Is one of the independent, away-from-politics roles of COSEWIC just simply to understand the health and viability of populations in Canada?