About WAPPRIITA: wild species protection and trade
WAPPRIITA is the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act.
The act applies to the following animal and plant species:
- species on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) control list
- foreign species whose capture, possession, and export are prohibited or regulated by laws in their country of origin
- Canadian species whose capture, possession, and transportation are regulated by provincial or territorial laws
- species whose introduction into Canadian ecosystems could endanger Canadian species
The act forbids the import, export and interprovincial transportation of these species, unless the specimens are accompanied by the appropriate documents (licences, permits). In all cases, the act applies to the plant or animal, alive or dead, as well as to its parts and any derived products.
More than 30,000 species are listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). International exchange of these species is controlled, either because they are threatened or because they could become threatened if there were no monitoring of their trade. CITES-listed plants and animals, as well as their parts and derived products, must be accompanied by permits in order to cross borders. You can find information regarding CITES and its requirements by consulting the following sites:
The Wild Animal and Plant Trade Regulations identifies the animal and plant species that are subject to the restrictions set out in the act. It sets out a few personal exemptions applicable to the import and export of CITES-listed species.