Wildlife possession and fur-trade rules updated: Registry replaced, records expanded, and beaver castoreum trade permitted

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted · not legal advice

A set of staged amendments updates Ontario's rules on possessing, buying and selling wildlife carcasses, pelts, hides, and cast antlers. The online Ministry Registry system for submitting notices of possession will be replaced by a Ministry-established format; the Ministry will issue confirmation of receipt, and people must keep that confirmation while the carcass or pelt is in their possession. Fur dealer record-keeping requirements are expanded — dealers must now capture licence details of the person they bought from, flag farmed-animal pelts, and retain records for five years instead of two after licence expiry. New provisions explicitly permit licensed fur dealers to buy and sell untreated beaver castoreum, and allow personal-use buyers to purchase it without a separate licence. Several provisions also update gendered pronouns to gender-neutral language throughout the regulation.

Who this affects: fur dealers and pelt traders · hunters and trappers · taxidermists and butchers · persons possessing wildlife carcasses or pelts · non-residents transporting game out of Ontario