2015-2016 Annual Summary Wildlife Enforcement Directorate
Message from the Director General (DG)
2015-2016 was a remarkable year for Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Wildlife Enforcement Directorate (WED) – one with a cohort of new officers trained, commendable results and significant recognition for our efforts to conserve wildlife and habitat at risk in Canada and around the world.
First, we saw several momentous prosecutions come to a successful close with courts ordering over one million dollars in penalties – a record for our organization. These prosecutions demonstrate our strong, shared commitment to protect Canada’s wildlife and habitat.
Second, WED took significant steps to deepen our cooperation through everything from joint investigations with federal, provincial and territorial enforcement agencies to our engagement with our neighbours in the United States and Mexico as well as globally with the INTERPOL and the International Consortium on Combatting Wildlife Crime. These partnerships make us a stronger and more strategic enforcement organization.
Third, we kept intelligence high on our priority list, and as a result saw advancements for the Enforcement Branch Intelligence Renewal Project. A comprehensive criminal intelligence program means more sophisticated planning, targeted operations and a nimble organization at all levels. We have become better at finding important non-compliance issues and focusing the strength of our team against them.
Reporting on our actions is an important part of accountability and is a chance to showcase the action we are taking to fulfil our mandate. I’m proud to say that WED, together with our partners, is working to achieve our ultimate goal: to protect wildlife and habitat now and for generations to come.
Finally, a note regarding several of the pictures in this Annual Summary: WED officers are fortunate in that they get to see a lot of this big and beautiful country. Many of the images in these pages are from a photo contest we held earlier this year among staff. The winning picture was taken near the British Columbia – Alaska frontier and is featured on the cover. It comes to us courtesy of Officer Gordon Barker of our Whitehorse, Yukon office.
I hope you enjoy all the news - and pictures - on the pages that follow!
Sheldon Jordan
Director General
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