Wild animal and plant trade and protection act 2018 annual report: chapter 5

5. International cooperation

5.1. CITES Conferences of the Parties

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)'s Conference of the Parties (CoP) meets once every three years. The 18^th meeting (CoP18) will be held from August 17 to 28, 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland, with the Standing Committee meetings taking place before and after (SC71 is August 16 and SC72 is August 28). During the period between meetings of the CoP, the Animals Committee, the Plants Committee and the Standing Committee implement directives received from the preceding CoP and prepare for the next CoP. Additional information on the Conference of the Parties is available online.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has undertaken a number of public information and consultation initiatives in anticipation of the CoP18 meeting, including a CITES information session in spring 2018 and a Standing Committee consultation and pre-CoP information session in September 2018. In addition, suggestions from Canadians were sought for proposals that Canada should consider submitting to the CoP, however, no suggestions were received. Canada maintains a CITES-dedicated website, an extensive email distribution list and is planning a public consultation meeting and publication in Canada Gazette to further inform Canada’s participation at CoP18.

In late 2018, Canada submitted two documents for discussion at the 2019 meeting of CoP18.

The first submission by Canada as Standing Committee chair, seeks an amendment to the CITES Appendices to reduce CITES controls for trade in rosewood tree products. The controls put in place in 2017 included any form of the wood, including finished products. Rosewood trees do not occur naturally in Canada. However, it is used in 90% of all guitars and is commonly used for bagpipes, clarinets, flutes, and woodworking tools. Controls on finished products have no conservation benefit on the species, which is why we are seeking the amendment.

The second submission proposes development of guidance relating to presentation of CITES listing decisions in the CITES Appendices. Such guidance would be useful to Canada and other similar countries that incorporate changes to the CITES Appendices directly into their legislation, by improving predictability and transparency of how the Appendices are presented.

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 the 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. Canada is part of the North American region, along with the United States and Mexico. In 2018, Canadians from ECCC served as members and alternate members for the Animals Committee and Plants Committee, and Canada represented the North American region on the Standing Committee. In addition, Ms. Carolina Caceres from Canada served in her elected role as Chair of the Standing Committee and Dr. Adrianne Sinclair from Canada served in her elected role as Chair of the Plants Committee.

5.3. Action plans for North American CITES Appendix II Species

Canada has been engaged in a project coordinated under the auspices of the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) to implement priority actions that will support sustainable, legal, and traceable trade of certain species of CITES listed tarantulas, tortoises and turtles, timber, and sharks. Activities in 2018 include:

5.4. International cooperation in enforcement operations

Canadian officials intercept 18 tonnes of suspected European eel meat

During spring 2018, ECCC made one of the largest detentions in the world as part of INTERPOL’s Operation Thunderstorm, seizing 18 tonnes of Eel meat. ECCC and four provinces participated in this operation which was the largest anti-wildlife trafficking effort ever mounted with 92 countries.

Due to the species’ stock decline, the European Eel is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List, listed in Appendix II of CITES, and is subject to European Union eel regulation. Furthermore, export out of and import into Europe has been suspended since December 2010^{Footnote 5}.

The result of this anti-wildlife trafficking operation shows that authorities can detain products and significantly impact the profitability of illegal trade. This situation demonstrates the contribution of enforcement activities to the sustainable international trade and ecosystems integrity for these species.

5.5. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

ECCC collaborates with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to exchange experiences and best practices in preventing and combatting wildlife and forest crime among countries in the Americas; get a better understanding of the relation between wildlife and forest crime and organized crime in the Americas; and identify potential joint strategies and activities for cooperation.