On October 31, 1996, the federal government made the “Canadian Endangered Species
Protection Act.” This act is only within Canada. The Convection on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is a world wide act, where more than 100
countries are members. Another Canadian law is the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and
Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA), which is more
Canadian. In Canada, there are 2 important organizations, the Committee on the Status of
Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and the Recovery of Nationally Endangered Wildlife
(RENEW). COSEWIC is a committee that is responsible for producing the official list of wildlife
at risk, and RENEW then coordinates recovery programs for these animals. Between 1988-1995,
199 federal, provincial, and territorial government agencies and non governmental organizations
spent nearly $13 million on recovery programs for 34 terrestrial vertebrates. In a 1991 survey,
83% of Canadians said that it is very or fairly important to protect endangered or declining
wildlife populations.