The Committee comprises seven prominent and respected scientists with expertise in ecology or biodiversity. Members are appointed by the Minister on a part-time basis for three years. The functions of the Flora and Fauna Committee are to advise the Minister in relation to nature conservation. In particular, it is required to advise the Minister of species and ecological communities that are threatened with extinction and processes that are ecologically threatening, and recommend that they be declared accordingly. Where the Minister accepts a Committee recommendation for declaration, the Minister shall make the declaration sought.
Declaration is formal recognition of a conservation threat.
A species may be declared as either vulnerable or endangered, depending on the degree of threat to its survival. A community is declared as endangered. Current declarations appear at Threatened Species . A similar process of assessment, recommendation and declaration applies to threatening processes-processes of such ecological significance that they threaten or may threaten the survival in the wild of native species and communities. No threatening process has yet been declared.