Environment and Climate Change Canada published a Notice of Intent on proposed administrative amendments to the Wild Animal and Plant Trade Regulations (WAPTR) and was published in the
Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 156, no.44. The notice of intent and link to the consultation document includes details of the proposed administrative amendments.
The Department of the Environment is seeking your comments on proposed administrative amendments that will ensure Wild Animal and Plant Trade Regulations (WAPTR) remains aligned with the purposes set out in the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA) and decisions adopted by various Conferences of the Parties (CoP) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The comment period is open from October 29 to December 28, 2022
Submit and send your comments to: [email protected]
Canada’s domestic implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is through WAPTR. Since the implementation of the Regulations in 1996, Schedule I has been amended many times to reflect changes to the list of protected species under the Appendices of CITES made by the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to CITES, which takes place approximately every two to three years. However, other decisions related to guiding the implementation of CITES have not been incorporated into the Regulations.
The primary objectives of the proposed amendments are to ensure WAPTR remain aligned with the purposes set out in the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA) in relation to decisions adopted by CITES CoPs. The proposed amendments will also address enforceability issues, update the structure of the Regulations to better reflect current drafting practices, modernize the language, address inconsistencies, and finally reduce the administrative burden where possible.
Details regarding these proposed amendments are available online and can be viewed here: Proposed administrative amendments to the Wild Animal and Plant Trade Regulations