Trophy Import issues into Canada

[toxic111]

This came to me via a good friend and Hunting TV Host. I also confirmed it through my shipping agent. One big problem right now is there is only one certified taxidermist in Canada at the moment (hopefully another will be approved shortly).

Make sure to let your voices know this is not acceptable!


Hello to All,
The Importing Requirements have changed in Canada and we feel it is important that you know the new regulations. In simple form, Wildlife Trophies that enter Canada after July 22, 2013 must be in a fully Taxidermied state meaning ready to mount on a wall or fully mounted (no other taxidermy needed.) Any skins, Skulls, Horns etc that are NOT fully taxidermied will have to be sent to a CERTIFIED TAXIDERMIST (CFIA APPROVED) to be fully taxidermied before clearance will be issued. They will be treated like quarantined shipments. If you could please pass this information on to any parties you know will be affected by this change we would greatly appreciate it.


The requirement for all animal tissues to be imported into Canada has been updated to reflect the high-risk nature of this commodity. This requirement for hunting trophy imports will be enforced at Vancouver International Airport beginning July 22, 2013. In the meantime, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will be scrutinizing trophy shipments more closely.

The most up-to-date policy is "Importation of Integumentary Tissue", available online:
Importation of Integumentary Tissue - Animals - Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Please forward this information to any interested parties.

Regards,


Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Richmond Sub-District Office/
Agence canadienne d'inspection des aliments, Bureau de sous-district Richmond
Animal Health/Santé des animaux
Tel: (604) 666-7042
Fax: (604) 666-6027
Plant Health/Santé des végétaux
Tel: (604) 666-7177
Fax: (604) 666-7170
richmond.insp@inspection.gc.ca

 

[garyleach]

1st i heard of it........:headscratch:

 

[Wheels]

Sounds like a great opportunity for taxidermists in Canada to get a lot of business. Get Certified!

It might be tough for Brickburn and the other >49th parallel crowd who are hunting now or waiting on trophies to be shipped.

 

[Bobpuckett]

Wow! sounds to me like 1 Taxidermist has a corner on the market if he's the only one in all of Canada that is Certified! Wonder what he's got in his back pocket or who.

 

[toxic111]

This is very new.

Here is so more info from my taxidermist.

Below you will find what the CFIA emailed us on Thursday.

This is a very terrible thing for Canadian hunters, taxidermists, sportsmen and our economy!

They are telling us that we will have to have our trophies mounted in Africa. Isn't that a smart way to support Canadian business... If you do not, your trophies have to be re-crated in a plastic sealed container that is 6mm thick before we can import it into Canada. So any shipments that are already packaged over there and ready to go must be re-packed. At this time we don't even know of a facility that can take care of this in all the countries we ship from. We have been in contact with all of our overseas agents and we are working on providing these new approved crates for re-packing. However, this cost will be reflected in shipping costs to the hunter. It is unbelievable that CFIA can give us 5 days notice to prepare for these changes. Even if you think this isn't going to affect you please everyone, phone you MP. Shipping trophies from the US may also be affected.

Orion and Rigel Logistics are working very hard at fighting this and coming up with a better solution to protect Canada from diseases and other contaminants from getting in to our Country. But this was done incorrectly by CFIA. We have a meeting with CFIA on Tuesday morning. We will keep you posted with any new information.

There is one thing for sure - ORION is NOT giving up. We are doing everything we can and we will fight to overcome these ridiculous new regulations to help out all of our friends and clients. The government will not stand in our way!!

We are trying to get some of the regulations changed but if we cannot we will do whatever it takes to get your trophies home to you!

Rion White

 

[sestoppelman]

I wonder how long before something similar takes place in the States. Not good.

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Thank you for sharing this information here!

 

[oddsix]

Wonder who the taxidermist is?

 

[toxic111]

I heard today that the one in Edmonton was Alberta taxidermy.

 

[Diamondhitch]

I am still investigating this but the CFIA letter posted on Rions site does not reflect the legislation presented in the regs on their website, as I read it. Importation of Integumentary Tissue - Animals - Canadian Food Inspection Agency

The way I read it Hides which arrive fully tanned from anywhere in the world require no inspection or certification. Hides that arrive dried hard must be sealed in the leak proof bags mentioned in a plastic crate and must be inspected then "disinfected" at an approved facility. Tanning is an approved method and likely the method of choice.

Skulls/Horns which arrive "professionally prepared horns in display form" which is described as "Horns should be thoroughly cleaned with the bloody sinuses drilled out, cleaned, and disinfected" require inspection but no certification (vet certificate?). Dried unprepared skulls must be sealed in a leak proof bag and must be inspected then "disinfected" at an approved facility. Boiling until all flesh is removed then submerging the skull in 40% peroxide for 12 hours is approved and likely the method of choice.

The Inspection mentioned above is a check at the border to ensure that the items are dried hard and not contaminated by Blood, Feces, Vegetable matter, straw, hay or manure.

Nowhere does it say that trophies MUST arrive mounted or that the receiving facility must mount the trophy. It does say that mounted trophies do not require certification or disinfection but the scary thing about this one is that it is at the inspecting officers discretion whether or not the trophy has been treated by an approved method in the taxidermy process prior to its arrival in Canada. If there is doubt the mount goes up in flames. If anything this should increase the amount of work done in Canada not decrease it as suggested. Once tanned, a requirement that the "disinfecting" facility be the one to glue the tanned (disinfected) hide to a piece of foam after screwing on the "disinfected" skull and horns goes way beyond the scope of ensuring that pathogens are not introduced in Canada. As soon as the "disinfection" is complete this policy, as written, is satisfied. Furthermore IMO there should be a rider that to be included as an approved facility that they MUST NOT refuse disinfection if the client chooses to not have the item mounted by the disinfector (I did not see this in the policy but it should be).

Items that require disinfection must be sealed by a CFIA officer and taken directly to an approved facility. By this wording it would appear that once sealed the hunter could continue on with the trophies and drop them at a facility on his way home.

If I am reading this correctly and it is actually the new regs that are posted then other than the extremely poor decision to implement this policy BEFORE there was any infrastructure (disinfection facilities) in place to handle the projected work load then the demands are actually quite reasonable. The way they rammed this down our throats with no time for public opinion or due process really irritates me to no end!!! There is no way that 1 facility (especially since this business consists of the owner and, I believe, 1 employee) can handle more than a very small fraction of the animals imported by Canadians each year.

Maybe one of the lawyer types on here could peruse the policy and share their thoughts?

SCI is jumping on this matter and has started to investigate legal channels.

They recommend at this time that hunters contact the CFIA complaint dept Complaints and Appeals Office - About the Canadian Food Inspection Agency - Canadian Food Inspection Agency

as well as your MP Find your Member of Parliament using your Postal Code

to aid in their fight on the poorly planned and ill conceived implementation of this policy.

 

[garyleach]

Talked to a taxidermist yesterday and how you describe it above diamondhitch is how he believes it going to work, so if the skulls/horns are clean and the salted skins are free of bugs you are good to go, from what he was told by a broker out of Edmonton, is that if they are clean its more or less as before, but if not you could face some extra costs or worse possibly confiscation and you are right its up to the discretion of the inspector.......

 

[Diamondhitch]

if they are clean its more or less as before, but if not you could face some extra costs or worse possibly confiscation.

Similar to before, at least, with an emphasis on enforcement.

I think as international hunters it has put the onus on us to research, visit, and choose our overseas dip/pack outfit or taxidermist very carefully or suffer the consequence. The way it is worded states that if the taxidermy work appears shoddy that it will be assumed that the cleaning/preservation techniques used were also sub par. The intent as I see it is to weed out the bad operators who claim to be doing the proper prep work but are actually not.

Despite the plain and clear wording of this document it is still scary to be facing importation this fall as this gets rolled out, especially with nowhere near enough facilities onboard to complete the work generated by this change, not to mention not knowing exactly how CFIA will interpret this at the border.

This is where we need SCI leading the way with their legal dept to ensure that Canadian hunters don't get screwed by this sort of thing. Anyone who doubts the importance of joining SCI should rethink that at times like this.

 

[toxic111]

Not even this fall, my trophies which were scheduled to be shipped next month are currently on hold until things get sorted out somewhat.

 

[toxic111]

Jus seen this on my FB. This is not me, but someone who has been dealing with things.

I just received a call Ellen Melvin Walsh a vet with the Canada Food Inspection Agency in Ottawa and she was doing a follow up call in regards to a call I placed there a couple days ago. She said there are NO NEW CHANGES. What happened was an email was taken wrong internally in an operational office and what you see has resulted. She said they are working hard to formally retract what was put out and in a couple days she will send it to me to post here. This is great news and now any worries anyone had can now be put to rest. I will make sure I receive that email and will post it here once it comes.

Once I hear more I will post here as well.

 

[BRICKBURN]

This is the reply I got from the head cheese CFIA in Alberta. When asked about any issues on imports.

The only potential problem is the contamination of the trophies with insects or other contaminates. If there are any, they will have to be fumigated prior to release of cleaned. As Vancouver is the first point of entry, they will be inspected there so you should know at that time.

The only other thing that comes to mind is the container it self - the wood will have to meet standards for import and it should be sealable (government seals) to ensure the contents.


John Muggaberg


In effect, same old, same old.

I sent the copy of the apparent notice letter about regulation changes to get his opinion.

 

[garyleach]

Just got an update from the taxidermist (same one that toxic posted from FB) that made the inquiry and he just talked to CFIA and now there are no changes, it will be retracted, looks like someone pushed the right bottons with the agency/government. So what Brickburn is saying is correct, its the same old same old...

 

[toxic111]

I happy that all of this is being resolved... which is good.

 

[Diamondhitch]

I happy that all of this is being resolved... which is good.

No doubt, this drama was the last thing I needed right now! LOL

 

[Diamondhitch]

looks like someone pushed the right bottons with the agency/government.

This comes the day after SCI sent its letter to the CFIA questioning their actions and the preceding research to back it... hmmm, coincidence???

 

[garyleach]

The word was.... It was some very political people with $'s behind them that are hunters, they had a conversation with the right people. All i will say, is that i am glad that this will be put to bed, as we jump thru/over enough hoops/hurdels......olevault: