CITES & Travelling with Parrots
Canadian Parrot Conference 2015
Lise Jubinville
Canadian Wildlife Service
Environment Canada
November 15, 2015
Purpose
Provide high-level overview of the Convention on
International Trade of Endangered Species of fauna and flora
(CITES).
Explain how CITES works for parrots – permits, expectations
for supporting documentation, breeding in captivity.
Other regulations or country restrictions that impact crossborder travel.
Outline
CITES Overview
CITES Permit Procedures
CITES Permit Issuance
Other areas of concern for travel
What is CITES?
1 - CITES Overview
CITES = Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
 International agreement, established in 1973, with over 180
member countries.
 CITES establishes a legal framework with common procedural
mechanisms to regulate international trade.
 The intent is to ensure that international trade of specimens of
wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
 National legislation is required in each country to implement the
provisions of CITES provisions.
1 - CITES Overview
How CITES works in Canada
The Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International
and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA) & Wild Animal and Plant
Trade Regulations (WAPTR) are the legislative instruments with which
Canada has implemented CITES.
Environment Canada (EC) is the lead agency responsible for
implementing CITES in Canada.
Within EC, the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) administers CITES
and interacts with provincial, territorial and other federal agencies.
CWS is responsible for managing the species listings in Canada and
interacting with the international community.
1 - CITES Overview
The Roles within CITES
Management
Authority (MA)
• Accountable for permitting decisions
• Manage, plan, develop and coordinate implementation of
CITES
• Implementation coordination with other parties
Scientific
Authority (SA)
• Scientific determinations on risk to species survival
• Scientific advice to MA
• Species listings analysis and recommendation
Enforcement
Authority (EA)
• Enforces provisions of WAPPRIITA
• Investigates and coordinates investigations with other
agencies
• Provides wildlife identification expertise and develops
identification manuals
CITES Species Listings
1 - CITES Overview
The over 35,000 CITES-listed species are divided into 3 categories:
• Appendix I
• Species which are threatened with extinction (e.g. yellow-headed
amazon, military macaw).
• International trade is generally PROHIBITED.
• Appendix II
• Species not necessarily threatened with extinction but trade must
be controlled to avoid becoming threatened (e.g. red&green
macaw, black-cheeked lovebird).
• International trade is REGULATED.
• Appendix III
• Species for which a country is asking Parties’ help with protection
(e.g. walrus, aardwolf).
• International trade is MONITORED.
CITES & Parrots
1 - CITES Overview
 All Psittaciformes, which includes over 350 species of
Parrots, Parakeets, Macaws, Cockatoos, are listed in CITES
with the following exceptions:
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Rosy-faced lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis)
Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus)
Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)
Rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
 Most of the Psittaciformes are listed in Appendix II, with the
some of the species in Appendix I.
2 - CITES Permit Procedures
CITES Permits Required
Relocation of an
Appendix I species
Relocation of an
Appendix II species
• CITES permit issued by the
exporting country
• CITES permit issued by the
importing country
• Import permit must be obtained
before the export permit.
• CITES permit issued by the
exporting country
Frequent cross-border
movement of
personally owned pets
(any Appendix)
• Simplified procedure using a
CITES Certificate of Ownership
(aka Pet Passport)
2 - CITES Permit Procedures
CITES Permit Decision Making
A permit is granted when the following conditions are verified:
1. The export or import will not be detrimental to the survival of that species.
2. Specimen was not obtained in contravention of the laws of the country.
3. Any living specimen will be prepared and shipped as to minimize the risk of
injury, damage to health or cruel treatment.
4. The proposed recipient of a living specimen is suitably equipped to house
and care for it.
5. In the case of Appendix I species, the specimen will not be used for
commercial purposes.
2 - CITES Permit Procedures
Which CITES permits do I need?
If your home base is Canada and you are visiting other countries:
 A certificate of ownership (Pet Passport) – valid for 3 years.
http://www.ec.gc.ca/cites/default.asp?lang=En&n=05BFDC16-1
If you are moving a parrot to another country or importing a parrot
from another country:
 Export and possibly import permits will be required.
http://www.ec.gc.ca/cites/default.asp?lang=En&n=C448F589-1
 Determine the Appendix listing of the bird.
1.
Obtain the scientific name of the species.
2.
Use the CITES checklist to find the Appendix listing.

Appendix I = export + import permits

Appendix II = export permit
You need the permits BEFORE you cross the border!
2 - CITES Permit Procedures
CITES Checklist Lookup (sample)
3 - CITES Permit Issuance
Requesting a CITES permit
 Canada has national standardized application forms for requesting
CITES permits.
• Categories of applications - Live animals, Harvested animal, Plants, Ginseng,
Pet Passport, etc.
• http://www.ec.gc.ca/cites/default.asp?lang=en&n=05BFDC16-1
(www.cites.ec.gc.ca>Permits> Permit Application Forms)
• Instruction sheets are provided to help understand how to fill out the forms.
• Applications submitted via email, fax or regular mail.
 A CITES permit is granted following the assessment of the information
provided in the application PLUS the required supporting documents.
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3 - CITES Permit Issuance
Information required for permit request
The completed, signed application form must address the following:
– Details of the parties involved
▪ Permittee – who is sending (for export) or receiving (on import) the specimen?
▪ Consignee – who is receiving (for export) or sending (on import) the specimen?
▪ Other country involved in the transaction – where is the specimen going to or coming
from?
– Purpose of the transaction
▪ Why is this specimen being moved across a border?
– Details of the species/specimens – identification
▪ What is being moved across a border?
– Legality
▪ How did the permittee obtain the specimen? - ownership/acquisition
▪ Where does the specimen come from? - origin/source/age
– Details on transportation/housing/care
▪ Necessary for live animals or plants
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3 - CITES Permit Issuance
Supporting Documents Needed for
Substantiating Request
•
Proof of ownership/acquisition
–
–
–
–
•
Proof of origin (source of specimen)
–
–
–
–
•
Foreign CITES export permit
Genealogy of specimen, with records of ancestry’s provenance
Breeder information
Hatch certificate
Housing and Care
–
–
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•
Invoice or purchase receipt
Transfer of ownership
Microchip or banding certificate
Foreign CITES permits
Diagrams or descriptions of facilities, including winter care
Feeding and veterinary care
Experience with same or similar species
Transportation
–
–
International Air Transport Association (IATA) standards for air travel
CITES guidelines for the non-air transport of live animals and plants
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3 - CITES Permit Issuance
CITES Permit Sample
• Import and export permits as
well as certificates of
ownership all share same
format.
• Top right corner indicates the
document type.
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3 - CITES Permit Issuance
Cross-Border Movement Sheet for the
Certificate of Ownership
•
Used for the endorsement by
Customs.
•
Records all the exits and entries of
the items.
•
Similar to having your passport
stamped when you travel.
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4 – Other Areas of Concern
Health of Animals
•
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulates the entry and exit
of live animals and plants. http://www.inspection.gc.ca
•
Consult them before you cross the border. They may also help identify the
requirements from other countries.
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4 – Other Areas of Concern
The US and their Requirements
US Wild Bird Conservation Act (WBCA)
The US WBCA was enacted in October 1992 to ensure that exotic bird species are not
harmed by international trade and encourage wild bird conservation programs in
countries of origin.
 It is additional legislation above and beyond CITES.
http://www.fws.gov/international/travel-and-trade/traveling-with-your-petbird.html
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4 – Other Areas of Concern
The US Requirements - continued
Crossing the US border – Inspection and Fees
•
•
•
Wildlife imported into or exported from the United States for any purpose must be declared to
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and cleared prior to release by U.S. Customs and
Border Protection.
The USFWS has a system of ports to allow for the import and export of wildlife. These ports
are used for all movement of wildlife, including for commercial, non-commercial, scientific, or
personal purposes. Certain port locations are designated to allow the international movement
of any lawful wildlife, while other locations are restricted to allow only certain types of wildlife
for certain purposes.
Fees will be charged by the US, final cost depends on the port.
http://www.fws.gov/le/businesses.html
Sample from
fee chart
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CITES Awareness and Information
New CITES posters available from CWS
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CITES Awareness and Information
Resources for CITES information
 Consult the website of the CITES Secretariat (definitive
source of info on CITES) - www.cites.org.
 Find contact information for CITES offices in other
countries.
 Lookup species on the Checklist of CITES Species http://checklist.cites.org/#/en.
 Consult the Canadian CITES website - www.cites.ca.
 Email the Canadian CITES office - cites@ec.gc.ca.
 Call the Canadian CITES office - 1 855 869 8670.
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Cheat Sheet for filling out Pet Passport
Application
Please excuse this old form with many bizarre and extraneous
fields. This form is next on the list for modernization.
 Section 1 – Application type = new application, renewal of an expired
Addendum A
permit or replacement of an existing permit.
 Section 2 – Trade Type – IGNORE
 Section 3 – Name and Address
A. Applicant = owner of the pet
B. Destination – IGNORE
 Section 4 - Purpose = reason for travelling with the pet (vacation,
exhibitions/shows, living part-time in another country, other)
 Section 5 - Description = tell us about your bird
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Cheat Sheet for filling out Pet Passport
Application
Continuing….
 Section 6 – Origin and Legality = tell us where you got your bird
 From the wild? From a breeding operation? Other?
Addendum A
 Attach copies of documents proving your story
 Section 7 – Transport = tell us how you will be transporting your pet safely
and humanely
 You can ignore the question about the number of crossings – it is irrelevant
 Section 8 – Location of specimen – should be Canada, since you
shouldn’t be asking for this document when you are stuck elsewhere!
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