Canreef Aquatics Bulletin Board

Species regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) can be listed in either Appendix I, Appendix II or Appendix III. The requirements under these Appendices are:

Appendix I species are rare or endangered and trade will generally not be permitted for primarily commercial purposes. Before trade is commenced, the importer must be in possession of a Convention export permit issued by the government of the exporting nation and a CITES import permit issued by the government of the importing nation. In your case, ie., Asian arowanas (Scleropages formosus).

Appendix II species are not currently rare or endangered but could become so if trade is not regulated. The species being traded must be covered by an appropriate Convention export permit issued by the government of the exporting nation before entry to or export from Canada will be allowed. CITES documentation from the importing country is not required. In your case, ie., pipefishes/seahorses (Hippocampus spp.), all hard corals.

Appendix III species are not necessarily endangered but are managed within the listing nation. The species being traded must be covered by an appropriate Convention export permit if trade is with the listing nation, or by a certificate of origin or a re-export certificate if trade is with a nation other than the listing nation, as required by the Convention.

If it is controlled under CITES, the exporter would have to apply to their country's CITES Management Authority for a CITES export permit. The original permit must accompany the instrument through Customs. If it is not accompanied by proper identifying documentation, Customs officials have the right to detain the shipment until such documentation is presented.
If required, the Canadian CITES permit applications can be found on our web site at www.cites.ec.gc.ca. From the home page, click on "Permits" on the left margin and on "Permit applications" on the left of the following page.

Contact information for the CITES Management Authorities of all Parties to CITES can be found on the CITES Secretariat web site at www.cites.org and clicking on "National contacts and information".

To obtain a list of regulated species, from our web site home page, you can scroll down the left side of the home page and click on "Control List". From the next page, you can scroll down the left side again to an expanded selection. If you select "search", the next page will show a box you can type the species name in and the system will search for that species. If you select "display", the next page will let you select the Appendix and the main group and will display that complete section of the Control List.

You should also contact the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for information regarding import requirements under the Health of Animals Act and Regulations. An Import Service Centre can be reached at: Central 1-800-835-4486, Eastern 1-877-493-0468, Western 1-888-732-6222, or their web site at www.cfia-acia.agr.ca.

Importation of Ornamental Fish
In general, importations of ornamental aquatic organisms, especially tropical species held in hobby aquaria, are considered to pose a negligible risk of spreading disease(s) to local species. Thus, Canada, like many other countries, does not require special permits for the importation of aquatic organisms for the aquarium hobbyist. There are, however, some exceptions related to other risks posed to aquatic resources and habitat.

All species listed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) may only be imported if a CITES certificate is obtained. Please see http://www.cites.org for current listing of species and http://www.cites.ec.gc.ca for relevant contact information. Hobby species that are genetically modified may be considered as new substances and may require notification under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999). For more information on the New Substances program, please consult the Environment Canada site at http://www.ec.gc.ca/substances/nsb/eng/index_e.htm.

Some Provinces and DFO Regions require special permits for the importation of certain species of fish, e.g. Koi carp into British Columbia. Further information on BC’s requirements can be found at
http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/int...ransfers_e.htm. Requirements can be obtained through the relevant (receiving) provincial department responsible for fisheries, or the local Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) office.

A Department of Fisheries and Oceans licence, under Section 56 of the Fishery (General) Regulation or matching provincial licence is required for all importations or transfers of live fish and other aquatic species destined for release into fish habitat or for culturing in a fish rearing facilities. Detailed information on obtaining a licence can be found at
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/aqu...e/prelim_e.htm or from your local DFO or Provincial fishery authority office.

For information on how to dispose of aquarium fish, invertebrates or aquatic plants responsibly to prevent the introduction of aquatic invasive species, please go to the following Habitattitude website by the US Fish and Wildlife.
http://www.habitattitude.net/

If you have any questions related to aquatic disease concerns, please feel free to contact the National Registry of Aquatic Animal Health at the address below:

National Registry of Aquatic Animal Health
200 Kent Street, Station 12W114
Ottawa ON K1A 0E6
email:NRFD@dfo-mpo.gc.ca