Jdeutsch Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 After reading the very long thread about illegal export of Mongolian fossils, I was curious about the status of fossil collecting in Canada. Is collecting regulated by the province or nationally? Are there separate rules for plant, invertebrate and vertebrate? Can one collect on public land and bring the specimens into the USA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 (edited) Each province can set its own rules. There is no collecting allowed in National or Provincial Parks. In Ontario you are allowed to take out of the country up to 50 pounds of Invertebrate material. There is no restriction on invertebrate collecting to Canadians on private land that you have permission on which to collect. You are not allowed to take "dirt" into the US so you need to be very careful that the fossils are clean. You are not allowed to take an Alberta fossil out of the province without a permit. In Alberta for example you are allowed to keep in your custody a fossil you find on the surface and use no digging or tool to excavate. It remains the property of the government, even though you may keep it but you may not export it or resell it or remove from the province. Generally you cannot remove a vertebrate fossil from anywhere in Canada. Collecting on any publicly owned land generally needs a permit which is difficult if not impossible to get unless you are a verified academic. Canada is pretty quick to declare most exceptional fossil sites to be off limits to collecting except by permit. General answer nothing on government owned land. Invertebrates and plants that are not of scientific importance are ok but not for commercial purposes and you need to keep it to under 50 pounds. Though I have seen people take out hundreds of pounds without being questioned. If you are entering the US at a border crossing it really depends on the officer that inspects you. They do not like dirt in any way shape or form..... Edited January 27, 2013 by Malcolmt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Yeah, laeve the Alberta fossils in Alberta. The other provinces are not so strict. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Sharks Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 I don't have first hand experience, but I've also heard that Newfoundland is pretty strict as well. Where were you thinking of going? There's no limit to what you can accomplish when you're supposed to be doing something else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdeutsch Posted January 27, 2013 Author Share Posted January 27, 2013 (edited) No plans to go to Canada at the moment- I've collected some shells/coral in NWT 10-15 yrs ago, and there seem to be a lot of experienced Canadian people making comments on the forum, generally from Ontario. Rules change- like I'm still not clear on what to do in Indiana or Colorado. With all the varying governing entities and the time variable-(things keep changing) It really is complicated- Even if I don't like the laws, I respect them, and wish to be informed. Edited January 27, 2013 by Jdeutsch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowsharks Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Each province can set its own rules. ... Generally you cannot remove a vertebrate fossil from anywhere in Canada. ... BC must have its own rules because I have seen at least a few times, even recently, various fossil shark teeth (hexanchus) for sale on eBay. The location of the owner in the auctions was the US, so the teeth were obviously taken out of BC at some point in the past. I've heard of fossil shark teeth coming from Hornby Island (link). Daryl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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