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by Cheri Roberts, Challenging the Rhetoric, The Guerilla Media Network
In an odd and vaguely explained move, the Canadian Government has opted out of restricting international trade in endangered species (both plants and animlas) citing little more than, “technical reservations”.
According to a CBC report on newly released documents,
The papers show that Canada has opted out of nearly every resolution to protect endangered species taken at last year’s meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Delegates from 180 countries voted to extend protections to 76 plant and animal species from soft-shelled turtles to tropical hardwoods.
Canada filed 76 “reservations” against the motions; opting out of all, but one.
Further reports point out,
Canada’s 76 reservations, all filed in 2013, dwarf those of other nations. Over the entire 39-year history of the treaty, Iceland has filed 22 reservations; Japan 18 and the United Kingdom eight. The United States has filed none.
Some of the species Canada refuses to protect are; manatees and manta rays. In addition, Canada has been fighting against protections restricting trade for polar bear “parts”.
According to the Animal Welfare Fund, Canada has also renigged on it’s promise earlier this year to update its wild animal and plant trade regulations.
A new study has also shown Canadians fall way short of protecting endangered species in their own country citing,
“86% of country’s at risk species stay at same risk level or have deteriorated over time.”
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