Hopeful News As Canada Moves One Step Closer To Banning The Elephant Ivory & Rhino Horn Trade

WAN is thrilled to report that Canada is moving one step closer to ending the country’s elephant ivory and rhino horn trade. Proposed regulations, which would prohibit elephant ivory and rhino horn in Canada, along with imports of hunting trophies made from the parts of elephants and rhinos, have been published in Gazette I. 

“Elephants and rhinoceros could be extinct within our lifetimes if urgent action is not taken to save them. We commend the Canadian government for showing global leadership in protecting these iconic species for future generations,” Kelly Butler, wildlife campaign manager for Humane Society International/Canada, told WAN.

“Canadians have made it clear that there is no place for the elephant ivory and rhino horn trade, nor hunting trophies from these species, in our country. HSI/Canada strongly supports the regulations as they are published in Gazette I, which would become the global standard for elephant and rhino protection in non-range states,” Butler continued.

The proposed regulations follow years of campaigning by HSI/Canada and our coalition partners, along with the support of scientists, public figures and hundreds of thousands of concerned individuals. In its 2021 mandate letter, the federal government responded with a commitment to “curb illegal wildlife trade and end elephant and rhinoceros tusk trade in Canada.” 

The regulation aligns with the directives of the foremost elephant and rhino conservation experts and stakeholders: The African Elephant Coalition (representing 78% of African countries holding 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 an elephant ivory trade ban. A public petition calling for a ban on the trade of elephant ivory has amassed over 700,000 signatures.  

Publication in Gazette I, the government of Canada’s newspaper, is one of the final stages in creating new regulations. Once proposed regulations are published in Gazette I, they are subject to a consultation and amended based on feedback, if necessary, the regulations will be officially published in Gazette II.

Canadian residents are urged to sign HSI/Canada’s letter in support of the measures, which will be submitted to the government during the 30-day public consultation. SIGN HERE!