Wild animal and plant trade and protection regulations: 2015 annual report: chapter 2


2.1 Amendment to Schedule 1 of WAPTR

On April 1, 2015, Schedule I of the WAPTR was amended to reflect decisions made at Convention of the Parties (COP) 16. Amendments included additions, deletions, transfers and modification of annotations of species in Appendices I and II, as well as additions to Appendix III of Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), as requested by Parties between the close of COP 15 (March 25, 2010) and December 2014. These amendments implement Canada’s international obligations under CITES and contribute to the international efforts in the conservation of species at risk.

Three Canadian Species Added to Appendix II of CITES

Spotted turtle © Gary Allen

Spotted turtle © Gary Allen

Three Canadian species were added to Appendix II of CITES and were reflected in amendments to Schedule I of WAPTR in 2015: the Spotted turtle, the Blanding’s turtle and the Porbeagle shark. Both turtle species are already afforded protection under provincial and federal laws, including the federal Species at Risk Act, so export in these species was already regulated in Canada. The listing under CITES does not create new protections in Canada other than the requirement for an export permit, but it provides additional protections in the U.S. and elsewhere where they may be exported.

Because of diminishing numbers, the Canadian Porbeagle shark fishery has been suspended since 2013, although small numbers of Porbeagle sharks are still landed as by-catch. The Appendix II listing still allows for commercial trade of individuals caught as by-catch; however, export permits are now required, helping to ensure trade is monitored.

In total, 119 species amendments to the CITES Appendices I, II and III were made to Schedule I of WAPTR, including:

  • 17 species deleted from CITES Appendix I or II (removal of import and export controls because many are either extinct or no longer subject to trade);
  • 46 new species or groups of species added to CITES Appendix II (new export controls), including three Canadian species;
  • 4 CITES Appendix I species transferred to CITES Appendix II (removal of import controls and decrease of export controls);
  • 6 CITES Appendix II species transferred to CITES Appendix I (new import controls and increased export controls);
  • 22 species annotation changes, including one plant that is traded in Canada: the American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius); and
  • 24 species added to CITES Appendix III (new export controls).

Additional minor changes, including nomenclature updates, as well as administrative and formatting amendments in the CITES Appendices, such as the removal of symbols denoting Canadian species in the list, were also made to Schedule I of WAPTR in order to be consistent with the text of CITES.

2.2 CITES permitting

2.2.1  Permitting overview

The effective implementation of CITES depends on international cooperation to regulate cross-border movement of listed species through a global system of permits that are verified at international borders. In Canada, CITES permits are issued pursuant to WAPPRIITA.

There are different permit requirements depending on the CITES appendix in which a species is listed.

  • Appendix I species require both an import and export permit.
  • Appendix II species require an export permit.
  • Appendix III species require an export permit or certificate of origin.

ECCC issues all export permits and re-export certificates for non-indigenous species, as well as all import permits and other specialized CITES certificates. ECCC also issues export permits and re-export certificates for specimens of indigenous species for applicants located in Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Alberta. Fisheries and Oceans Canada issues the majority of the export permits for CITES-listed aquatic species, including fish, marine mammals and aquatic plants.

Table 1 describes the various types of CITES permits and certificates that are issued in Canada.

Table 1: Types of Canadian permits required under CITES and WAPPRIITA and certificates issued pursuant to the WAPTR
Type of permit or certificate Description
Import permit Issued for all specimens of species included in Schedule I of the WAPTR that are also listed in CITES Appendix I. An export permit from the exporting country is also required to authorize the importation into Canada. An import permit is necessary for specimens of species that are included in Schedule II of the WAPTR, which are imported into Canada. Import permits are valid for up to one year.
Export permit Issued for all specimens of species included in Schedule I of the WAPTR that are also listed in CITES Appendix I and II to be exported from Canada. Species that are listed in CITES Appendix III require an export permit when Canada has listed the species in CITES Appendix III (e.g. walrus). Multiple shipments under a permit can be authorized when the applicant intends to make multiple transactions during the period for which the permit is valid. Export permits are valid for up to six months.
Re-export certificate Issued for all specimens of species included in Schedule I of the WAPTR to be exported from Canada after having been legally imported into Canada at an earlier time. Re-export certificates are valid for up to six months.
Certificate of ownership Issued to authorize frequent cross-border movement of personally owned live exotic animals (also known as a pet passport). Certificates of ownership are valid for up to three years.
Temporary movement/travelling exhibition certificate Issued for specimens that are only temporarily exported from Canada and that will, within a limited amount of time, be returned to Canada. Authorization can be provided for orchestras, museum exhibits or circus specimens that are either pre-Convention, captive-bred or artificially propagated. Authorization can also be provided for individuals wanting to travel with musical instruments containing parts made from CITES-listed species (e.g., ivory, Brazilian rosewood). Temporary movement certificates are valid for up to three years.
Scientific certificate Issued for the exchange between CITES-registered scientific institutions of museum, research and herbarium specimens. Scientific certificates are valid for up to three years.
Phytosanitary certificate Issued to authorize export of artificially propagated plant species included in Schedule I of the WAPTR and listed in CITES Appendix II or III. The use of this certificate for CITES purposes was phased out August 1, 2015.

2.2.2 Exemptions

WAPPRIITA authorizes exemptions, in specific situations, for the import and export of CITES-listed species without permits. These exemptions are specified in the WAPTR and apply to non-commercial purposes only. Canadian threatened or endangered species listed on Schedule III of the WAPTR are not included in these exemptions and still require all the necessary CITES permits.

Four exemptions are included in the WAPTR: tourist souvenirs, personal effects, household effects and certain hunting trophies. The hunting trophy exemption applies to fresh, frozen or salted trophies of Black Bear and Sandhill Crane for United States hunters returning to the United States with their trophy harvested in Canada, or for Canadian hunters returning to Canada with their trophy harvested in the United States. Further information on exemptions is available online.

2.2.3 Issuance and monitoring of CITES permits

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has established service standards for WAPPRIITA permit decisions. The Department publishes its service standards for the issuance of these permits, and it tracks its performance against those standards. ECCC’s goal is to provide permit decisions within these standards for at least 90% of all permit applications. The Department’s performance against these standards is published online.

In 2015, ECCC continued its efforts to update the CITES permit applications and published forms for export or import of CITES-listed plants (live, parts, products, wood and wood products).

The revision of all remaining application forms will be completed in 2016.

2.3 CITES permits issued in 2015

2.3.1  Export permits and re-export certificates

Export permits are issued for specimens (animals, plants, their parts or derivatives) of CITES-listed species that originated in Canada and are being exported from Canada for the first time. These export permits are used to track the trade in wildlife specimens originating within Canada.

Re-export certificates are used to track trade in specimens that entered Canada under the authorization of permits issued by foreign states and were then re-exported from Canada.

In 2015, Canadian CITES permitting offices issued 5630 export permits and re-export certificates.

Table 2 shows the number of export permits and re-export certificates issued in 2015 by each Canadian jurisdiction.

Table 2: CITES export permits and re-export certificates issued in Canadian CITES permitting offices in 2015
Canadian jurisdiction (federal, provincial and territorial) Number of export permits and re-export certificates issued Share of total export permits and re-export certificates issued (%)
Environment and Climate Change CanadaTable notea
3698
65.68
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
176
3.13
British Columbia
1000
17.76
Ontario
411
7.3
New Brunswick
156
2.77
Yukon
110
1.95
Newfoundland and Labrador
54
0.96
Northwest Territories
20
0.36
Nunavut
5
0.09
Total
5630
100

In 2015, Canada issued export permits and re-export certificates for the following purpose-of- transaction codes as defined in CITES Resolution 12.3 (totals in brackets): hunting trophies (2701), commercial (1533), personal use (835), biomedical research (377), scientific research (75), and other purposesFootnote1 (109). Figure 1 shows the percentage of distribution, by purpose-of-transaction, of wildlife export permits and re-export certificates issued in 2015.

Figure 1: Percentage of CITES export permits and re-export certificates issued in 2015, by purpose-of-transaction

Figure 1: Percentage of CITES export permits and re-export certificates issued in 2015, by purpose-of-transaction (See Table 3 for long description below)
Table 3: Percentages of CITES export permits and re-export certificates issued by purpose-of-transaction from previous years
Year Hunting trophies Personal use Scientific Research Commercial purposes Biomedical research Zoos Other
2015
48
15
1
27
7
Included
in Other
2
2014
43
16
1
32
6
1
1
2013
45
14
1
33
5
1
1
2012
39
16
2
37
4
1
1
2011
35
17
1
40
5
1
2
2010
36
19
1
37
3
1
2

2.3.2  Permits for multiple shipments

Export permits and re-export certificates can authorize the export of multiple specimens or species, but they must list the species and their parts or derivatives. An export permit or re-export certificate may authorize multiple shipments of specimens which have been approved by the permitting office. The permit or certificate holder is responsible for identifying the destination, specific specimens and quantities which make up each shipment. This provides a simplified procedure for permit holders who trade in specimens with very little or no impact to the conservation of species. Of the 5630 export permits and re-export certificates listed in Table 2, 2531 were for multiple shipments, authorizing 28 726 shipments. By far, the largest share of multiple shipment permits was issued to growers and distributors of American Ginseng (25 101 shipments). The other users of multiple shipment permits were research labs exporting parts and derivatives of Macaques (1770 shipments) and nurseries exporting artificially propagated plants (1855 shipments).

In Canada, the export of a small quantity of artificially propagated American Ginseng for personal use (up to 4.5 kg for personal use) is authorized through a simplified permitting procedure using ginseng stickers. Each shipment is accompanied by a permit sticker identifying the permit number under which the multiple shipments are authorized. Individual stickers accounted for 23 480 of the 25 101 shipments for ginseng authorized in 2015. The remaining 1621 ginseng shipments were for large-volume commercial shipments.

2.3.3 Imports into Canada

Canada issued 180 import permits in 2015 for the following purpose-of-transaction codes, as defined in CITES Resolution 12.3 (totals in brackets): personal use (35), commercial (63), hunting trophies (38), scientific research (5), zoos (23), exhibitions (7) and other purposes (9). 

Figure 2 indicates the distribution, by purpose-of-transaction code, of CITES import permits issued in 2015. The imports for commercial purposed consists mainly of artificially propagated plants, pre-Convention specimens (e.g., antiques containing ivory) and captive-bred animals (e.g., falcons, parrots).

Figure 2: Percentage of CITES import permits issued in 2015, by purpose-of-transaction

Figure 2: Percentage of CITES import permits issued in 2015, by purpose-of-transaction (See Table 4 for long description below)
Table 4: Percentage of CITES import permits issued by purpose-of-transaction from previous years
Year Hunting trophies Personal use Scientific Research Commercial purposes Exhibitions Zoos Other
2015
21
19
3
35
4
13
5
2014
18
38
7
23
4
 
3
2013
11
30
7
25
9
15
3
2012
39
16
2
37
4
6
2
2011
16
27
4
32
8
8
2010
13
14
8
38
8
9
1

2.4 Canada’s trading partners

As in past recent years, Canada’s major trading partners under CITES, particularly for exports, continue to be the United States, the member countries of the European Union, and the countries of East and Southeast Asia. The exports to the United States and the European Union cover a wide range of specimens and species. In the case of Asia, particularly East and Southeast Asia, the species most commonly exported from Canada, was cultivated American Ginseng, with these regions accounting for the majority of Canada’s foreign market for this species.

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