Over 400 wild species-from moss and lichen to mammals-have been officially designated as being at risk in Canada. The survival of these species is threatened by various factors: some of natural origin, most of human origin. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has been mandated to identify species at risk in Canada. The thirteen species of cetaceans that frequent the St. Lawrence have already been evaluated by COSEWIC and each has been granted a status. Four of these thirteen species—the beluga, the North Atlantic right whale, the blue whale and the northern bottlenose whale—have been classified as endangered or threatened species. Recovery Plans have been or will be developed for these species. These plans aim to identify threats and put forward recommendations that favour recovery.