Suspend Cambodian macaque imports
Petitioners ask the Minister of Environment to suspend imports of endangered macaques from Cambodia immediately. The government responds it has found no evidence of falsified Cambodian permits and will await CITES review before considering action.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would immediately halt potentially illegal trade and help protect endangered long‑tailed macaques while the origin of specimens and permit claims are verified.
- It enforces CITES accountability and responds to petitioners' reports of a near‑350% rise in Cambodian imports and the species’ IUCN uplisting to endangered.
- A temporary suspension reduces immediate pressure on wild populations while the CITES Secretariat’s site visit and review proceed.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- A suspension could disrupt Canadian biomedical, university and scientific research that relies on long‑tailed macaques for vaccines and medical studies.
- Canada reports it has found no evidence of falsified Cambodian export permits, so a blanket suspension may be premature.
- The issue is already under CITES review with a planned site visit; targeted inspections or awaiting that report may be a less disruptive approach.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Long-tailed macaques are the monkey species most heavily traded for use in primate experimentation; The country from which Canada most frequently imports monkeys is Cambodia; In February 2023, the United States stopped accepting monkeys from Cambodia because authorities amassed evidence that export permits were falsified by claiming wild-caught monkeys were captive-bred; The practice of falsifying export permits is against international treaties designed to protect animals from extinction; In 2022, the International Union for Conservation of Nature raised the classification of long-tailed macaques from “vulnerable” to “endangered,” pointing to their exploitation by the experimentation industry as a factor in the species’ plummeting numbers and heightened risk of extinction; From 2022 to 2023, imports of Cambodian long-tailed macaques to Canada increased by nearly 350%; The Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada is responsible for administering and enforcing the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) and the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA), which includes verifying the origin of any endangered species imported into the country; Canada has an ethical responsibility to apply the same level of scrutiny over these imports as the United States to protect this endangered species. We, the undersigned, Citizens and Residents of Canada, call upon the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to order an immediate suspension of all endangered monkey imports from Cambodia.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Nature Signed by The Honourable JULIE DABRUSIN Canada has been a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora since its inception in 1975. Through this Convention, a total of 185 nations worldwide work together to ensure international trade does not threaten wildlife species, including by working with range States and destination countries in efforts to address issues. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora aims to ensure that international wildlife trade is sustainable by implementing a strict system of permits. Canada supports legal trade of species when it is founded on principles of conservation and sustainable use. At the last meeting of the Standing Committee to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Parties reviewed information related to the export of Long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) from Cambodia. The long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) are commonly used by biomedical research companies in Canada as well as universities and other scientific research institutions. These entities rely on this species for their vaccine, disease, medical and other scientific research. This species is protected under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Appendix II lists species that are not necessarily currently threatened with extinction but that may become so unless trade is closely controlled. Species listed in Appendix II require an export permit issued by the competent authority of the exporting country. Canada upholds this system for imports, exports and re-exports, and rigorously enforces federal laws that conserve and protect wildlife to detect violations and take enforcement action. In Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada is responsible for verifying compliance with permits from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Environment and Climate Change Canada has not seen evidence that export permits issued by Cambodia for the import of long-tailed macaques in Canada were falsified by claiming wild-caught monkeys were captive-bred. As per the obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, export countries are expected to exercise the required due diligence. These include verifying the legal origin of the exported specimens as well as ensuring there is no detriment to the survival of the species in the wild. At the February 2025 Standing Committee meeting, the Secretariat of the Convention, proposed suspending trade of macaques from Cambodia until the Parties are satisfied that there is sufficient information indicating that the captive-bred macaques exported are indeed captive-bred. The Standing Committee did not support this proposal and rather asked the Secretariat to verify concerns with a site visit to Cambodia and to report to the 79th meeting of the Standing Committee. The Standing Committee meeting will take place on November 23, 2025, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Canada is waiting to see the report from the Secretariat and the decisions of the Standing Committee before taking any action. Canada takes its obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora very seriously and will continue to follow this discussion closely. We thank you for your interest on this matter.