Wild animal and plant trade and protection regulations 2016 annual report: chapter 5

Official title: Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act 2016 Annual Report: Chapter 5

5 International cooperation

• 5.1 CITES Conferences of the Parties
• 5.2 CITES committees and working groups
• 5.3 INTERPOL Wildlife Crime Working Group
• 5.4 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

5.1 CITES Conferences of the Parties

The CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP) meets once every three years. During the period between meetings of the CoP, the Animals Committee, the Plants Committee and the Standing Committee implement the directives received from the preceding CoP and prepare results for the next CoP. The activities carried out by these committees in 2016 are described in more detail in Section 5.2 below.

The 17th meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP17) took place on September 24 - October 4, 2016, in South Africa. CoP18 will be held in 2019 in Sri Lanka.

Additional information on the Conference of the Parties is available on ECCC's website.

Canada initiated a public consultation process approximately one year prior to CoP17 that included a dedicated CITES website, extensive email distribution and a posting in the Canada Gazette in March, 2016. A public call for proposals resulted in a suggestion to submit a proposal to transfer walrus from Appendix III to Appendix II. After careful consideration, Canada did not proceed with the submission of this proposal as the species did not meet the decline criteria for transfer and such a listing would not contribute to the conservation of the species. The decision to not submit the walrus proposal was also supported by Inuit communities due to an important subsistence harvest of walrus.

However, Canada submitted three other proposals to CoP17 based on past consultations and careful review of our Canadian Principles for CITES (portable document format, 117 Kilobytes). Stakeholders provided written support for these proposals, in particular for the Peregrine Falcon and the Wood Bison.

Canada proposed the transfer of Peregrine Falcon to Appendix II as the species has a wide distribution and global range, the ability to adapt to different habitats and populations are generally stable or increasing. Trade in peregrine falcon is primarily in captive-bred birds, which are used for falconry. This type of trade does not impact wild populations directly.

In 2014, the species was assessed and listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in the category of Least Concern.

In particular, the species does not satisfy the relevant CITES criteria for continued listing in Appendix I which reflects one of the Canadian Principles for CITES. In addition, Canada gathered information from range States and key trading partners to evaluate whether precautionary measures for Appendix II listing were met. Canada determined that there were effective controls to prevent illegal laundering of wild individuals in captive-breeding operations.

This proposal was rejected after a vote (Yes-52; No-57; Abstain-12). Canada chose to take a position consistent with the principles that supported the submission of the proposal and did not accept the alternatives for the use of zero export quota for wild birds or commercial trade. Opposition from the EU (who votes as a block of 28 votes) indicated concerns that some countries could not properly implement an Appendix II listing.

Transfer of Eastern Cougar (Puma concolor couguar) from CITES Appendix I to Appendix II

The standard nomenclature reference adopted at CoP14 for mammals changed all North American Cougar to Puma concolor couguar – the name of the Eastern Cougars – which essentially moved all North American cougars to Appendix I. Nomenclature changes are not meant to change CITES protection or listings so the cougar was exempted from the standard reference for mammals that was adopted at CoP14. Working with the Animals Committee, Canada attempted to resolve the issue by proposing a transfer of Puma concolor couguar from Appendix I to Appendix II. The Periodic Review under the Felidae family at the 28th Meeting of the Animals Committee resulted in agreement that it would be appropriate to transfer the two subspecies (Puma concolor coryi and Puma concolor couguar). With this proposal, all cougars in Canada would be listed together on CITES Appendix II. Cougars that are found in trade (from the west) would continue to be protected under federal, provincial and territorial laws. There will be no change in trade as a result of this proposal.

After some clarification about the scope, the proposal was adopted by consensus.

CoP17 also adopted the taxonomic reference for cougars that was agreed to previously at CoP14.

Removal of Wood Bison (Bison bison athabascae) from CITES Appendix II

Canada submitted the proposal to remove wood bison from CITES controls as the Wood Bison is not threatened by international trade. A review of the available biological information against the CITES listing criteria and precautionary measures indicates that the subspecies does not meet the criteria for continued listing on CITES. To protect the Wood Bison, legislation is in place federally, as well as in provinces and territories.

Parties agreed that Wood Bison no longer met the criteria for Appendix II listing. Trade is not a threat to the species in the wild (16 wild animals were traded in the last five years), protection and management is strong and wild harvest is not expected to increase as a result of this de-listing. There are 50,000 farmed Wood Bison, including hybrids, in Canada with some of those being exported. Parties supported the proposal based on the fact that the species no longer met criteria for Appendix II. The proposal was adopted by consensus.

To prepare for CoP17, a face-to-face consultation meeting was held in Ottawa in June 2016. The meeting was attended by non-government organizations, other federal departments and interested members of the public. General feedback was that placing a reservation on the CoP decisions to allow time for updating domestic regulations put Canada's commitment to CITES into question. For all proposals and working documents at CoP17, Canada used the Canadian Principles for CITES, which ensure decisions are based on the best available information, support sustainable use of wildlife resources, are practical and enforceable and remain within the scope of CITES.

Supporting our involvement in the CoP, Canada's negotiating positions and CoP outcomes are posted on the ECCC website.

Other items of interest to Canada at CoP17 included changes to the interpretation of hunting trophies as personal and household effects. The increased administrative burden for the issuance of permits for Black bear and Sandhill Crane hunting trophies would have been substantial with no conservation gain to the species. Canada expressed these concerns and the final outcome recognized that bilateral agreements, like the existing agreement between Canada and the United States, allow for trade that is non-detrimental to the survival of the species with minimal administrative burden. As such, the existing trade conditions for Black Bear and Sandhill Crane between Canada and the United States remain unmodified.

CITES provides that amendments to Appendices I and II adopted at a meeting of the CoP shall enter into force 90 days after that meeting for all Parties, except for those Parties who make a reservation. Many Parties have difficulty meeting this short timeline. Canada submitted a temporary reservation to indicate that we would not be bound by the amendments to the Appendices adopted at CoP17 until we had completed our domestic implementation process. It was received on January 4, 2017, two days after the expiration of the 90-day timeline. Late reservations are considered received unless a Party to the Convention objects. On March 21, 2017, the United States notified the CITES Secretariat of their objection to all late reservations submitted, including Canada's. With this objection, Canada was bound by the CoP17 amendments.

5.2 CITES committees and working groups

Canada participates in a number of committees and working groups to foster ongoing cooperation with international partners under the Convention. In particular, the meetings of the CITES Standing Committee, the Plants Committee and the Animals Committee are instrumental in developing international policy for implementation of the Convention. Decisions made by these bodies may affect Canada's obligations under CITES and greatly influence the decisions ultimately adopted by the CoP. It is therefore important that Canadian concerns be heard in these forums.

Members of these committees are elected for each CITES region after every CoP. Carolina Caceres of ECCC was elected Chair of the Standing Committee for the next intersessional period. Dr. Adrianne Sinclair of ECCC was elected Chair of the Plants Committee after serving as the regional representative and the interim Chair leading up to CoP17.

The Animals Committee and the Plants Committee did not meet in 2016 due to the CoP. The Standing Committee met in January 2016. During the year, Canada was very active in the work of these committees.

The North America Region of CITES met in August 2016 in Ottawa to discuss the proposals and documents for CoP17. The US and Mexico were supportive of Canada's initiatives to de-list Wood Bison and transfer Eastern Cougar and Peregrine Falcon to Appendix II. The North American Region also met on-site during CoP17 in South Africa to focus on regional preparations and positions for the meeting. These meetings allow regional members to better understand respective views and concerns, especially regarding shared species.

5.3 INTERPOL wildlife crime working group

INTERPOL is the world's largest international police organization, with 190 member countries. The INTERPOL Wildlife Crime Working Group, a subgroup of the Environmental Security Sub-Directorate, works and advises on issues related to law enforcement, strategies and ways in which INTERPOL can help to maintain and support an international network of law enforcement experts specializing in wildlife and forestry crimes. The Director General of the Wildlife Enforcement Directorate at ECCC, Sheldon Jordan, is currently chair of the Wildlife Crime Working Group (WCWG).

ECCC's involvement with the WCWG included building capacity and facilitating the exchange of information in support of coordinated and enhanced enforcement efforts around the world. In 2016, at the 27th WCWG Meeting in Johannesburg (October 2-4, 2016), ECCC presented its experience with the implementation of wildlife traceability initiatives in trade and the conservation of wildlife species. ECCC highlighted the critical importance of engaging local communities and pointed out the benefits from harnessing technology advancements (such as passive integrated transponders, DNA sampling and stable isotope analysis) in order to enhance the traceability of species in trade.

5.4 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

ECCC is collaborating with the UNODC to exchange experiences and best practices in the prevention and combatting of wildlife and forest crime among countries in the Americas; to get a better understanding of the relation between wildlife and forest crime and organized crime in the Americas; and to identify potential joint strategies and activities for cooperation.

During 2016, ECCC contributed to the development of the Best Practice Guide for Forensic Timber Identification (portable document format, 1.34 megabytes), a project led by UNODC's Global Programme for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime and the Laboratory and Scientific Section. This Guide is intended to support the front-line enforcement officers worldwide in identifying species and geographical provenance of timber samples through the use of forensic technology and laboratory data. The information collected while applying methods of forensic analysis of timber can be instrumental for the design of targeted law enforcement responses. It will help to ensure that resources are directed to those areas where illegal logging occurs and will support countries to combat the illegal trade in products of protected timber species more effectively. In addition, identifying where logging activities are illegal assists countries in taking responsibility for the illegal activities within their borders and helps to promote international cooperation to address the problem.