Results of public consultation: 17th Conference of the Parties

Date Posted: 2016-07-04

Environment and Climate Change Canada hosted a public consultation meeting in Ottawa, Ontario on June 14, 2016. The meeting provided an opportunity for participants to share views and comments on submitted species proposals and working documents for the September/October 2016 CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP17).

Participants provided comments regarding all of the 62 proposals that are on the agenda for CoP17, and several working documents that were available at the time as posted by the CITES Secretariat prior to the meeting. Participants shared their positions on the three proposals submitted by Canada (wood bison, eastern cougar and peregrine falcon). Feedback was received on the proposals for African elephants, pangolins, rhinoceros, African Grey Parrot and several amphibians and reptiles. There were also views shared on a number of the marine, plant and timber proposals including Thresher shark, rays, stingrays, nautilus and rosewood species. Working documents related to livelihoods, food security and rural communities were of particular interest.

In addition, Canada heard concerns over the atypical approach of using a block reservation given the time needed to update domestic regulations so that they are in line with CoP17 decisions.

Anyone is welcome to provide written comments by July 31, 2016 on the proposals or working documents to the CITES Scientific Authority (ec.scientificauthority.ec@canada.ca; CITES Scientific Authority, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, 351 St. Joseph Blvd, 16th floor, Gatineau, Quebec  K1A 0H3). Canada will use the feedback from the public meeting and any other written comments as a source of information when developing positions for Canada, in preparation for CoP17.

A list of meeting participants (by organization or government) is provided below.

Organization

• Born Free USA
• Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Ecology Action Canada
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada
• Humane Society International (Canada)
• Humane Society International/Species Survival Network
• Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada
• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
• Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK)
• International Wildlife Management Congress (IWMC)
• Natural Resources Canada (Canadian Forest Service)
• Private Consultant