MONTREAL-Humane Society International/Canada applauds Environment Canada for taking another step forward in closing the Canadian market to the trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn. Proposed regulations that would ban the trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn in Canada, as well as the import of hunting trophies made from these parts, have been published in Gazette I. HSI/Canada encourages all Canadians to sign our letter in support of the measures, which will be submitted to the government during the 30-day public consultation period.
Kelly Butler, Wildlife Campaigner, Humane Society International/Canada, said:
“Elephants and rhinos could be extinct in our lifetimes unless urgent action is taken to save them. We commend the Canadian government for showing global leadership in protecting these iconic species for future generations. Canadians have made it clear that there is no place in our country for the trade in elephant ivory, rhino horn or hunting trophies from these species. HSI/Canada strongly supports the regulations as published in Gazette I, which would become the global standard for elephant and rhino conservation in non-range states.
The proposed regulations follow years of campaigning by HSI/Canada and our coalition partners, as well as support from scientists, public figures and hundreds of thousands of concerned individuals. In its 2021 mandate letter, the federal government responded with a commitment to “reduce illegal wildlife trade and end the trade in elephant and rhino tusks in Canada”.
Critically, the regulation is in line with the advice of leading elephant and rhino conservation experts and stakeholders: The African Elephant Coalition (representing 78% of African countries with elephants), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature have all called for the closure of domestic ivory markets.
According to a 2020 poll by Insights West, 94% of Canadians support a ban on elephant ivory trade. A public petition calling for a Canadian ban on elephant ivory trade has garnered over 700,000 signatures.
Publication in Gazette I, the Government of Canada’s official newspaper, is one of the final stages in the process of creating new regulations. Once proposed regulations are published in Gazette I, they go through a consultation process, are amended if necessary based on feedback, and are then published as official regulations in Gazette II.
