Canada: It's Time to Crack Down on the Wildlife Trade!

For far too long, Canada and other countries have allowed the cruel and irresponsible wildlife trade to flourish.

Every year, wildlife traders capture millions of animals from their natural homes and sell these beings across the globe for the sake of entertainment, food, traditional medicine, and the exotic pet trade. These animals endure horrific suffering, with many condemned to a lifetime in tiny, unnatural enclosures, and brutal slaughter in wildlife markets.

The legal and illegal wildlife trade is not only a nightmare for animals, but it poses a huge risk to public health as well. Most infectious diseases in humans originated from animals, including SARS, HIV, Ebola, Zika, and H1N1. Experts believe that the deadly COVID-19 pandemic stemmed from an unsanitary wildlife market.

In Canada, regulations regarding the wildlife trade are severely inadequate. For example, although reptiles and rodents are known to be carriers of diseases that can infect humans, wildlife traders don't even need a permit to bring them across the border, with the exception of turtles.

We can no longer afford to ignore the cruelty and health risks caused by the wildlife trade. To prevent the next pandemic, we need a global effort to shut down this trade for good—and we need the Canadian government be a leader in this much-needed effort. Please take action today by asking the federal government to crack down on the Canadian wildlife trade!

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To: MP {contact_data~firstName} {contact_data~lastName}
CC: Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos
CC: Minister of International Trade Mary Ng
CC: Minister of Environment Steven Guilbeault
CC: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Dear MP {contact_data~firstName} {contact_data~lastName},

I’m writing to you with deep concern regarding the wildlife trade, including the cruelty it inflicts onto animals and the zoonotic disease risk it poses to the public.

Experts agree that the COVID-19 virus likely originated from a wildlife market in Wuhan, China. Previous deadly global pandemics, including SARS, HIV, Ebola, Zika, and H1N1, also originated in wild animals before they were spread to humans.

Canada is sorely lacking in its efforts to curb the cruelty of this trade and the risk of disease transmission from animals. Between the tens of thousands of factory farms and fur farms where millions of animals are closely confined in filthy conditions, and inadequate regulations pertaining to the trade of wild animals for the exotic pet trade and the zoo industry, we are allowing breeding grounds for new zoonotic viruses. This is grossly irresponsible.

Polls show that 75% of Canadians want the federal government to support a ban on wildlife markets, and 70% support a ban on the commercial wildlife trade. 93% of Canadians agree that the wildlife trade is cruel and can cause suffering, 89% agree it is a threat to biodiversity, and 89% agree it threatens public health.

To prevent the next pandemic, and to spare animals from suffering at the hands of this brutal industry, please take steps to strengthen regulations and oversight pertaining to the import and the domestic trade of wild animals and wild animal products, and address the critical issue of captive breeding, transport, and the physical and online trade of wild animals.

On the world stage, Canada should demonstrate itself as a leader to other G20 countries and push for an international ban on the trade of wild animals, wild animal products, and wildlife markets.

Please take urgent action to curb the wildlife trade in our own country and globally, before it’s too late.

Yours truly,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}
{user_data~City}, {user_data~Province}, {user_data~Country}