Customs Notice 24-04: Import Prohibition on Bat Guano

Ottawa, February 12, 2024

1. This notice is a reminder that since 2014, bat guano in any form (pure manure that is processed and packaged, pure manure that is unprocessed, fertilizer or any other item that contains bat guano ingredients) is prohibited from being imported into Canada.

2. This ban is in place under the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) Section 40 of the Health of Animals Regulations, and Section 2.1 of the Fertilizers Regulations.

3. The only exemption for the importation of pure, unprocessed bat guano manure is if it is intended for scientific research. A valid import permit is required to import bat guano for this purpose into Canada. Please check with the CFIA's Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) for information regarding the importation of bat guano on a case-by-case basis.

4. Additionally, bat parts or materials (under the HS codes 0511.99, 9705.22, and 9705.29) require an import permit from the CFIA in order to be imported into Canada.

5. There are more than 50 possible pathogens that can be found within bat guano, which include viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Many of the pathogens are potential threats to human health and to wildlife. These pathogens include the Nipah virus, Hepatitis E virus, and different coronaviruses that can affect human health.

6. Another pathogen of great concern detected in bat guano is Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), a fungus that is not native to North America and is responsible for the mortality of upwards of 95% of hibernating bat species in eastern North America. Pd causes White-nose Syndrome (WNS) in bats and cases of WNS have been confirmed in Canada in multiple provinces, including, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. The fungus that causes WNS has recently been detected in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.

7. WNS causes white fungus to accumulate on an affected bat's muzzle and exposed skin/wing membrane during hibernation. In order to fight this fungal infection, bats must raise their body temperature and exit torpor (a state of physical inactivity), which in turn offsets fat reserves required to ensure survival during winter months. This typically leads to the death of bats due to starvation and thirst. WNS has resulted in the deaths of millions of bats and caused three bat species to be listed as endangered in Canada, within Schedule I of the Species at Risk Act.

8. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) will be engaging in genetic analyses of bat guano and its derivatives, including mineralized phosphate, across the country to assess the risk it potentially represents to Canadian ecosystems and bats.