Wild animal and plant trade and protection act 2018 annual report

Official title: Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act Annual Report for 2018

Table of contents

Highlights

1. Introduction
   • 1.1. Purpose
   • 1.2.  WAPPRIITA and CITES
   • 1.3. Responsibilities in administering WAPPRIITA
2. Management of wild animals and plants in trade
   • 2.1. Permitting overview
     • 2.1.1. Requirement
     • 2.1.2. Exemptions
     • 2.1.3. Issuance and monitoring of Canadian permits and certificates under WAPPRIITA
   • 2.2. CITES permits issued in 2018
     • 2.2.1. Export permits and re-export certificates
     • 2.2.2. Permits for multiple shipments
     • 2.2.3. Imports into Canada
     • 2.2.4. Specialized CITES certificates
   • 2.3. Other permits issued
   • 2.4. Canada's trading partners
3. Assessing the risk to species from trade
   • 3.1. Non-detriment findings
4. Compliance promotion and enforcement of CITES and WAPPRIITA
   • 4.1. Compliance promotion
   • 4.2. Enforcement activities
     • 4.2.1. Inspections
     • 4.2.2. Investigations
     • 4.2.3. Violations
     • 4.2.4. Convictions
   • 4.3. Collaboration with provincial and territorial partners
5. International cooperation
   • 5.1. CITES Conferences of the Parties
   • 5.2. CITES committees and working groups
   • 5.3. Action plans for North American CITES Appendix II Species
   • 5.4. International cooperation in enforcement operations
   • 5.5. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
6. Additional information

Highlights

Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA)

• International: Canada participated in the 30^th meeting of the Animals Committee, the 24^th meeting of the Plants Committee, and the 70^th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Canada is currently serving as the North American Regional representative and Chair of the Standing Committee as well as Chair of the Plants Committee.
• Domestic: In May 2018, Canada extended the one-year prohibition on the import of Salamanders on an indefinite basis, unless accompanied by a permit. This measure was put in place to protect native Salamanders from a devastating fungal disease.
• Exports: Canadian jurisdictions issued 5,512 CITES export permits and re-export certificates under WAPPRIITA. As with past years, the majority of shipments in 2018 were of cultivated American Ginseng and wild-harvested animals (primarily the American Black Bear), as well as their parts and derivatives.
• Imports: Canada issued 160 CITES import permits, which were mainly for the import of old ivory and hunting trophies from legitimate hunts. In addition, 10 import permits were issued for the import of species posing a risk to Canadian ecosystems, including Raccoon Dogs and Salamanders.
• Enforcement: Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) conducted 1,808 inspections under WAPPRIITA. There were 285 violations of WAPPRIITA or its regulations, which resulted in prosecutions, seizures, tickets or warnings. About 15% of the inspections focused on Canadian species at high conservation risk or facing a high level of non-compliance, and 85% focused on foreign species meeting these same criteria of high conservation risk or high level of non-compliance in Canada.