Advocacy & Ongoing Projects
Shaping Policy, Celebrating Historic Victories, and Demanding Corporate Accountability
Discover how Elephanatics works alongside global experts to strengthen international legal frameworks against wildlife trafficking, protect endangered species, and advocate for environmental transparency.
🏛️ Active Campaign: Sponsoring the UNTOC Protocol Against Wildlife Trafficking
We are actively leading high-level advocacy to bolster global laws against the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT). Alongside an international coalition, we are pushing for Canada to take a definitive leadership role in treating wildlife trafficking as a serious, organized transnational crime.
Key Milestones & Ongoing Actions:
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The Global Foundation: Elephanatics proudly co-signed and continues to back Strengthening the International Legal Framework to Tackle IWT, authored by John Scanlon, Chair of the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime.
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Appeal to Executive Leadership: In a joint initiative with World Elephant Day and the World Elephant Society, we sent a formal appeal urging the federal government to build upon Canada’s conservation leadership by formally sponsoring an additional Wildlife Crime Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC).
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International Policy Push: Our coalition is actively driving momentum across key international forums—including the 15th UN Crime Congress in Abu Dhabi (September 26 – October 1, 2026) and the UNTOC Conference of the Parties (COP13) in Vienna (October 19–23, 2026)—to secure global sponsorship for a dedicated Wildlife Crime Protocol.
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Public Mobilization: Following our global campaign launch ahead of World Elephant Day, we continue to mobilize citizens, municipal leaders, and civil society to demand federal leadership on transnational wildlife crime.
Why UNTOC Matters: International wildlife crime is a $199 billion annual industry. While regulatory trade treaties like CITES manage legal commerce, a dedicated UNTOC Protocol equips law enforcement with binding international criminal justice tools—including cross-border intelligence sharing and mutual legal assistance.
🏆 Historic Milestones: The Ivory Free Canada Campaign
Our flagship campaign achieved a monumental victory for global elephant conservation. For years, Elephanatics—alongside coalition partners, legal experts, and thousands of dedicated advocates—demanded a complete shutdown of domestic ivory sales.
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The 2023 Regulatory Amendments: Following years of public mobilization and direct political engagement, Canada officially implemented a near-total ban on the domestic trade, import, and export of raw ivory and rhino horn.
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The Impact: Closing these legal loopholes ensured Canada no longer fuels global demand or creates cover for illicit poaching trade routes.
💡 Consumer Guidance: What to Do If You Own Ivory (Canada & U.S.)
If you have inherited or acquired personal ivory items, commercial trade and sale are heavily restricted under national and international wildlife protection laws.
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In Canada: You can contact Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) Wildlife Enforcement or your provincial wildlife office to surrender raw or worked ivory so it is permanently taken out of circulation. Personal possession of pre-ban heirlooms remains legal provided no sale or trade occurs.
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In the United States: Unwanted items can be donated/abandoned to the USFWS National Wildlife Property Repository in Colorado for conservation education (nwpr@fws.gov), or handed in at local “Toss the Tusk” collection events.
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Cross-Border Warning: Transporting elephant ivory across the U.S.–Canada border—even as a personal gift or heirloom—is strictly prohibited without specialized CITES import/export permits.
📂 Conservation Watch: Corporate & Environmental Accountability
We maintain a watchdog record on large-scale resource exploitation that threatens delicate wilderness zones and essential water sources. While direct campaign interventions here are currently paused, our past advocacy remains an open record of our commitment to ecological integrity.
Environmental Oversight: The Okavango River Basin
We previously mobilized international concerns regarding Canadian exploratory drilling operations in the transboundary Okavango River Basin (Namibia and Botswana). To protect fragile aquatic ecosystems, human rights, and essential water security, we formally petitioned leadership for federal oversight.
Archived Resources & Track Record:
- Report: Broken Trust: How a Canadian oil driller profits from exploiting Namibian laws and communities – (Jan. 2025)
- Media: Oil drilling threatens the Okavango River Basin, putting water in Namibia and Botswana at risk – (August 2023)
- ReconAfrica Complaint and Fraud Accusations Documentation (August 2023)
- Analysis: Canadian support to ReconAfrica lacks transparency and sufficient regulation (March 2024)