Update to Canada’s CITES species list

Summary#

These regulations update Schedule I of the Wild Animal and Plant Trade Regulations to reflect changes agreed at the 18th meeting of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The amendments took effect on August 25, 2020 and change which species need CITES-style permits to be imported or exported from Canada.

What it does#

• Replaces the existing list of CITES species in Schedule I so Canadian rules match the international CITES appendices approved at CoP18.
• Implements 46 CITES decisions that together affect 58 taxa and more than 400 species or subspecies.
• Key types of changes:
  • Adds species to Appendix II (new export controls): 25 taxa (including the shortfin mako shark).
  • Adds species to Appendix I (new import and export controls): 8 taxa.
  • Moves species from Appendix I to II (reduced import controls): 8 taxa.
  • Moves species from Appendix II to I (increased import controls): 8 taxa.
  • Updates or adds detailed annotations (footnotes) that narrow or expand which parts or products of some plants and trees are controlled (for example, changes affecting rosewoods and some cedars).
  • Reflects unilateral Appendix III requests by Parties (adds 24 taxa to Appendix III and removes 6 taxa).
• One notable practical point: the shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), which occurs in Canadian waters and is caught as bycatch, was added to CITES Appendix II and so is now subject to export permitting.

Who's affected#

• People and businesses that import or export wild animals, plants, or products made from them, including:
  • Pet-trade dealers and hobbyists (small lizards, geckos, turtles, newts, spiders, etc.).
  • Fisheries and seafood exporters (notably those handling shortfin mako sharks).
  • Timber, flooring, furniture and musical-instrument makers and traders (changes to rosewood/Dalbergia and Cedrela rules affect which finished products need permits).
  • Zoos, aquariums, researchers and museums that move live specimens or specimens for display.
  • Travellers carrying certain animal or plant items across the border.
• Federal enforcement and permitting authorities. The Government estimated implementation and delivery costs at about $218,000 per year, with first-year costs of about $302,400, and a present-value cost of about $1.7 million over ten years.
• Indigenous peoples and modern-treaty rights: the government’s analysis says the amendments are not expected to affect section 35 rights, modern treaties, or international human-rights obligations.

Why it matters#

• Conservation: The rules control international trade in species that are threatened or could be threatened by trade. Updating Canada’s regulations helps protect those species worldwide.
• Trade and paperwork: Some businesses will face new permitting paperwork when importing or exporting listed species. The government expects this extra administrative burden for affected Canadian businesses to be small overall. For example, exporters of shortfin mako and some small reptiles may need to apply for permits.
• Some businesses benefit: changes to the rosewood and bubinga annotations are expected to remove permit requirements for many finished products. The government estimates that Canadian businesses will save about $8,533 annually because fewer permits will be needed for finished rosewood products (present value about $59,932 over ten years).
• Canadian fisheries: adding the shortfin mako to Appendix II matters because the species is present in Canadian waters and is landed and exported; its annual landed value in Canada is estimated at about $200,000–$300,000, so exporters will now need to work with permitting rules when shipping this species abroad.
• Legal alignment: These changes bring Canada into line with its international CITES obligations. That alignment keeps Canadian exporters and importers able to trade legally with other CITES Parties and supports international enforcement against illegal wildlife trade.