Trade in protected species: trees and lumber

Role of the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) in the administration of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Canada

The Canadian Forest Service (CFS) provides Canadians and the Canadian forest sector with first-class forest science. It addresses national and international issues surrounding the sustainable management of Canada's forests and is building national consensus on forest issues, shaping international forest policy, and generating and transferring knowledge through its world-class forest research activities.

As the CITES Scientific Authority on forest matters, CFS is responsible for the provision of policy advice as well as scientific and technical expertise to facilitate the application of CITES to tree species.

Policy advice

CFS is a founding member of the CITES Timber Working Group created in 1994 to facilitate the Convention's administration. Thanks to its comprehensive knowledge of global trade in forest products trade, CFS can respond to concerns of CITES in this area.

CFS participates, as a member of Canada's delegation, at relevant CITES Conferences of the Parties.

Scientific and technical expertise:

Currently, multiple tree species, predominantly from tropical regions, are listed on CITES Appendices. The international trade in these species presents challenges that CFS can help to solve. For example, with respect to timber products with similar visual characteristics, the development of a technique that enables DNA finger printing of certain Canadian trees species could lead to conclusive differentiation of species listed on CITES. CFS provides scientific support in other ways as well; for example, by contributing to a Canadian assessment of the CITES framework for amending CITES Appendices.