Regulating activities related to great apes, elephants, and other designated animals
The bill would prohibit private ownership of these animals as exotic pets and require federal regulation of zoos and other facilities holding such animals.
Bill S-241 would prohibit the import/export, interprovincial transportation, ownership, custody of, captive breeding and use for entertainment of great apes, elephants and other designated animals (except in accordance with a federal permit) and would establish criteria for the issuance of federal permits. In effect, the bill would prohibit private ownership of these animals as exotic pets and require federal regulation of zoos and other facilities holding such animals. Certain exceptions apply, including for continued ownership of animals already in captivity and ownership and breeding of animals at zoos operating under provincial licenses.
The implementation of this proposal would require:
1. Elaborating the standards for the issuance of permits and permit conditions, including either developing new standards for animal welfare or adopting an existing set of standards for animal welfare;
2. Assessing proposed additions and removals from the list of designated animals;
3. Processing applications for designation as an animal care organization, applications for permits from animal care organizations, and other applications related to non-harmful scientific research or the best interests of the animal; and,
4. Conducting inspection and enforcement activities, including reviewing permits upon request by provincial animal welfare authorities and upon changes in ownership or control.
The PBO assumes that user fees will be established to fully recover the costs of processing applications, inspections and enforcement activities associated with zoos and other facilities holding the specified animals.
The PBO estimates that this measure will have a net cost of approximately $1 million per year for a total of $4 million across the projection period.
- Estimates are presented on an accrual basis as would appear in the budget and public accounts.
- A positive number implies a deterioration in the budgetary balance (lower revenues or higher spending). A negative number implies an improvement in the budgetary balance (higher revenues or lower spending).
- Totals may not add due to rounding
The estimate assumed that Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) would require new staffing at a level similar to the existing permit scheme under the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act. In addition, the PBO assumed that additional external consulting resources would be required to establish and implement animal welfare standards and advise on additions and removals of animals from the list of designated species, as well as for the one-time costs to establish IT systems dedicated to the administration of the program.
Costs were assumed to grow with inflation over time.
The key source of uncertainty is the comparability between the scope of ECCC’s new and existing responsibilities under the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act.