Thanks, Julie.
Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee, for having us.
I'd like to start briefly speaking about assessment challenges. SARAC supports efforts to ensure that COSEWIC receives adequate resources to achieve more vigorous and comprehensive scientific analysis.
I'll move on to listing challenges under the act.
Within SARA, the issue of socio-economic analysis and where it is most applicable must be addressed. SARAC urges Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Parks Canada Agency to form a joint committee with the objective of developing, finalizing, and publicly posting a consistent framework for the application of socio-economic analysis in SARA. The development of this framework requires consultation with all interested parties.
The entire socio-economic analysis process must be fully transparent. All interested parties must have timely opportunity to participate in the development of socio-economic analysis, regardless of where in the SARA conservation cycle socio-economic analysis—