The Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, publish a list of-
(a) critically endangered species, being any indigenous species facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future;
(b) endangered species, being any indigenous species facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future, although they are not a critically endangered species;
(c) vulnerable species, being any indigenous species facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future, although they are not a critically endangered species or an endangered species; and
(d) protected species, being any species which are of high conservation value or national importance or require regulation in order to ensure that the species are managed in an ecologically sustainable manner.