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Known as the Jane Goodall Act and introduced by Manitoba senator Murray Sinclair, BILL S-218 (an Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act [great apes, elephants and certain other animals]) underwent its first reading on November 17, 2020.
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| African Lion Safari, based out of Hamilton, Ontario, has more than 1,000 exotic birds and animals from around the world. If Bill S-218 is passed, what happens then? |
For those that don’t remember or who might not have heard of Jane Goodall, she is a world-renowned primatologist that lived and worked among chimpanzees for many years. The Jane Goodall Institute continues that work today. However, like so many other institutes and foundations set up in regards to animal welfare, the Jane Goodall Institute also involves itself in areas outside of chimpanzees, including in the fight against the delisting of wolves in the US, and is against most, if not all forms of hunting, especially so-called “trophy” hunting.
According to the Act’s summary, “This enactment amends the Criminal Code to create offences respecting great apes, elephants and certain other non-domesticated animals in captivity. It also amends the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act to require a permit for the import, export or interprovincial travel of great apes, elephants and certain other non-domesticated animals and to prohibit the importation or exportation of elephant ivory, with certain limited exceptions.”
At first glance, Bill S-218 appears harmless, unless of course you are a zoo or likewise entity keeping such animals. But then it gets involved in the International and Interprovincial Trade Act where the words “certain other non-domesticated animals” jump out at you. Just what does that mean and who gets to decide what animals those are, the Governor in Council? And, what if you are a Canadian hunter that wants to hunt an elephant, for example, what then?
Maybe I’m just being a little paranoid because I’m a hunter and a trapper, but when I see Camille Labchuk and Animal Justice Canada jumping up and down because of Bill S-218, I can’t help but be concerned.
And when the man introducing the Bill, Senator Murray Sinclair says, “The killing of animals for recreational purposes has always been an area with which I totally disagree” and “I don’t agree with trophy hunting. I don’t agree with recreational hunting. People who kill animals for sport, I think, are misguided in terms of their relationship with animals.” How can you not be concerned, he is a Canadian senator that’s against all forms of hunting, not just the hunting of elephants.
Now, I’m not an elephant hunter and haven’t a tusk in that fight, but I’ve always believed – and still do – that if there is a healthy population, regardless of what the animal is, and hunting is a tool that can be used for management purposes, why not use it? Especially if it provides for an economic impact and helps in conservation efforts. But that belief is archaic in the minds of many, especially in the minds of the animal-rights movement that appears to be gaining more and more traction at every turn.
According to Jane Goodall, “It would just be wonderful if this bill is passed, so that Canada can prove that it is on the forefront of humane treatment of animals, of understanding of animals, of realizing that we are here on this planet and we should be sharing the planet with the other animals.”
Right from PETA’s playbook! ■
For previous Outdoor Pursuits click here.
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