BC Company Pleads Guilty to Illegal Importation of Protected Plant

Vancouver, B.C. – April 19, 2010 – Topwin Trading Co Ltd. was ordered, on April 12th, 2010, to pay a $10,000 after pleading guilty to contravening subsection 6(2) of the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act. Topwin Trading Co Ltd. is one of the largest importers of traditional Chinese medicines in British Columbia.

The incident leading to this fine occurred in April 2008, when the company imported the plant species Nardostachys grandiflora, which is commonly used in dried form as a medicinal herb, into Canada without a permit. Environment Canada is the lead agency responsible for implementing CITES in Canada. This plant is a protected species of flora listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora. The company was also ordered to forfeit the plant, which was seized as part of the investigation. 

A total of $9,000 of this fine will be directed to the British Columbia Institute of Technology Integrative Bio Science Research Cluster, which conducts research into areas of herbal medicine, including the identification of plants and authentication of plants.

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