Migratory Bird Treaty


The Migratory Bird Treaty or Convention is an environmental treaty between Canada and the United States. It was originally signed on by the U.S. and Great Britain,, entered into force in on, and has since been amended several times.

Implementation

This treaty led to important environmental legislation being passed in each of the two countries in order to implement the terms of the treaty.

Implementation in Canada

The Migratory Birds Convention Act is a Canadian law established in 1917 and significantly updated in June 1994 which contains regulations to protect migratory birds, their eggs, and their nests from hunting, trafficking and commercialization. A permit is required to engage in any of these activities. One major outcome of the act was the creation of Federal Migratory Bird Sanctuaries.

Implementation in the United States

Under United States Code Title 16, Chapter 7, Subchapter II, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 is the United States legislation implementing the convention between the U.S. and Great Britain. It replaced the Weeks-McLean Act, which had become effective in 1913. The United States subsequently entered into similar agreements with four other nations to protect migratory birds. The statute makes it unlawful to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill or sell birds listed therein. The statute does not discriminate between live or dead birds and also grants full protection to any bird parts including feathers, eggs and nests. Over 800 species are currently on the list.
The statute is broken down into ten sections, 703 through 712. Note that § 709 is omitted, but § 709a Authorization of appropriations is included and active, making eleven listed sections.