Convicted for having imported plants and animals protected in Canada

QMI agency

Saturday, 26 August, 2017 10:23

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Saturday, 26 August, 2017 10:23

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The owner of the company Carbo Herbal Supplies Inc., Ms. Qin Zhou, was sentenced to a suspended term of imprisonment followed by a period of probation, after being smuggled plants and animals protected in Canada.

The facts date back to may 2016, when the agents of the authority of environment and climate Change Canada inspected a sea container arrived at the Port of Vancouver from China.

During their inspection, they seized more than 800 kg of dried roots of tree fern, a species used in traditional asian medicine, as well as a box of remedy asian-containing Moschus, or musk deer. These two species are regulated and must be accompanied by the permit of the Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora savages threatened (CITES) when they are imported into Canada.

Last August 2, the company and its owner have pleaded guilty before the Court of justice of Ontario to violations of the Law on the protection of wild animal and plant species and the regulation of international and interprovincial trade act for having illegally imported parts of plants and products from animals without possessing the required permit.

Carbo Herbal Supplies Inc. has been sentenced to a period of probation of 18 months, a company representative must report to a probation officer.

For its part, Ms. Qin Zou was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of four months suspended, to be served in the community under supervision, with 32 hours of community service and a probation period of 14 months.

As many are unaware of the different regulations of Canada on the protection of species or on the international trade, Ms. Qin Zou is also required to “prepare and publish, over a period of 18 months, an article in a bulletin for practitioners of traditional chinese medicine, which will contain the facts of the offences, including a reference to the applicable law that has been violated and the types of permits required for legally importing in Canada a plant or an animal (or a part thereof or a product thereof) referred to in the Act on the protection of wild animal and plant species and the regulation of international and interprovincial trade act, and the sentences imposed for each offence”, reported on Friday, Environment and climate Change Canada.