Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, launched a 60-day consultation to garner feedback from Canadians on a potential revised approach to elephant ivory trade in Canada.
Currently, Canada adheres to obligations on the trade of elephant ivory under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), through a permitting system for imports, exports, and re-exports, and in some cases, requires further permitting than CITES.
In recent years, there have been increased calls for the global community to take further action, including a 2016 resolution unanimously adopted by CITES Parties. In support of these global efforts, Canada is considering options to strengthen domestic measures to and from Canada.
In Canada, stricter measures on the trade of elephant ivory could include additional requirements prior to issuing permits, restricting certain types of imports or banning the trade of elephant ivory, with certain exemptions.
This consultation, in combination with considerations on global biodiversity loss, will help determine the future of Canada’s approach to the trade of elephant ivory.