A woman poses with a balloon of Pokemon character Pikachu at Minatomirai shopping district in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Monday, Aug. 14, 2017. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

Pokemon Company International Inc. has registered two lobbyists to talk tariffs. You heard that correctly — Pikachu has lobbyists.

The wording on their official registration was a little vague. They want to “arrange meetings to discuss the classification of tariffs on consumer products being imported into Canada, and possible issues surrounding Pokemon events held in Canada.”

They’ve hired Toronto-based consultants Sheamus Murphy and Ben Parsons to lead discussions on tariffs with many different federal departments, including the Canada Revenue Agency, Finance Canada and the Prime Minister’s Office too.

Pokémon Company, which is based in Washington State, handles brand management and licensing of all things Pokémon. Canada is a profitable market for Pokemon because this country is a bunch of ‘Poke-maniacs,’ according to Nintendo’s North American president Reggie Fils-Aime.

“Pokemon games do exceptionally well in Canada,” he said in an interview with the Toronto Star. “We have a lot of momentum out there. It’s wonderful. But we also know that in this games business, things change quickly.”

Turns out catching them all is a profitable business: a recent report by research firm SuperData found Pokemon Go alone generated $104 million dollars in May. The player base of the infamous virtual reality game is also at an all-time high since its debut in 2016. No idea yet though on how profits raked in by Mew and Greninja may be impacted by tariffs.

June 24-30 updates:

It’s summer and the list of new registrations reflects that. There were only 27 last week. Les Éleveurs de porcs du Québec registered three board members, while Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals and Equal Voice registered two. Hill+Knowlton and Impact Public Affairs both won the week with three new registrations, followed by Bluesky Strategy and Counsel Public Affairs with two. Kevin Bosch from Hill+Knowlton was the only lobbyist with more than one new client. He had two.

For the full list, click here.

Highlights:

In recent agriculture and trade registrations:

Tenaris S.A. registered Jason Clark of Crestview Strategy about tax measures for the manufacturing sector, and steel trade policy. Their registration comes just before a company spokesperson announced on Canada Day that 40 workers at their Sault Ste. Marie location would be laid off because of the U.S tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Les Éleveurs de porcs du Québec added three more board members to last week’s registration – René Roy, Louis-Philippe Roy and Serge Menard. The topics are about agriculture policy, pork inspections and a payment program for pork producers. Last year Les Éleveurs received about $900,000 from federal and provincial governments.

BC Landaqua Ventures Inc is looking for funding for their ‘not in the ocean’ fish-farming company on Vancouver Island. The company, led by Eric Hobson, says their aquaculture park could be a way to grow the salmon population in British Columbia. They signed Danile Bernier of Earnscliffe Strategy Group to help.

Danone Inc., registered Kevin Bosch of Hill & Knowlton to discuss a wide range of topics with government agencies, including agriculture policy changes and the impacts of international trade on the dairy supply management sector. This is the second registration for them in June.

Alberta Pressure Vessel Manufacturers Association, registered Peter Clark of Grey, Clark, Shih and Associates, Limited about American tariffs and access to steel.

A.O. Smith Corporation, a water heater manufacturer, signed Michael Agosti of Dentons Canada LLP about trade, countervailing tariffs and Canada-U.S. relations in general.

In recent arts, culture and copyright registrations:

Société québécoise de gestion collective des droits de reproduction (Copibec), registered Yasmine Ragala of Ryan Public Affairs Inc to lobby about copyright reform and provisions for internet service providers.

Movie theatre giant Cineplex, signed Sean Casey of Global Public Affairs, to lobby on Copyright Act reform as it applies to royalties paid by theatres.

In recent health registrations:

Baylis Medical Company is looking to get funding from the Strategic Innovation Fund to continue manufacturing, creating and distributing medical devices. To help them, they’ve enlisted the help of Daniel Carbin from Santis Health.

Servier Inc Canada is also looking to talk to Innovation, Science and Development Canada, but their focus is a little different. They’ve registered Julien Nepveu-Villeneuve of TACT Intelligence-Conseil to talk e-health, AI applications and pharmacare.

Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Canada registered a pair from BlueSky Strategy Group, Elizabeth Gray-Smith and Geoff Turner to promote the company’s Rand D work to Health Canada, the Senate and the House of Commons.

Therapure Biopharm Inc., added Goldy Hyer of Hill+Knowlton as their second lobbyist to a growing team that is communicating with government officials about the Investment Canada Act, foreign direct investments and the review process. Therapure is a private company based in Mississauga that makes makes blood and plasma products.

Of note:

Equal Voice, a non-partisan advocacy group trying to get more women in politics, registered two people from Impact Public Affairs – Emily Gale and Charlotte Webber. The latter is an active member of the organization. Together, the two women will be organizing meetings with Parliamentarians to find supportive allies to the cause. Last year, the organization received just over $500,000 in federal funding — and expects more this year.

Worldpay, a company providing secure payment services to small and large businesses, hired Jaqueline Shinfeld of Blake, Cassels & Graydon to lobby the Department of Finance about a proposed retail payment oversight framework.

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada registered Kevin Bosch of Hill+Knowlton to lobby for a very, very long list of policies and programs some of which include creating an “enhanced driver’s licence” and getting Health Canada and ISED to change the rules to allow American medical associations to hold meetings and conventions in Canada.

Monthly communications reports:

Only 157 reports were filed last week, all dating from April to Friday.

Most active client organizations based on last week’s filings:

Fédération des communautes francophones et acadienne du Canada, by one board member and the ED, 30

Dairy Fafmers of Canada by five board members, 12

Chicken Farmers of Canada, by two board members, 9

The MATCH International Women’s Fund by a lobbyist, 8

Most active paid lobbyists

Michael Bailey for nine clients, 9

Catherine Fortin LeFaivre, for one client, 8

David Messer for three clients, 6

Elaine Larsen, for one client, 5

Barry Campbell for two clients, 4

Catherine Cobden for one client, 4

Most lobbied public officer holders

Tom Corsie, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, 9

Guy Lauzon, Conservative MP for eastern Ontario riding, 4

Gabriel Ste-Marie, Quebec debout MP for Quebec riding of Joliette, 3

Most lobbied government institutions

House of Commons, 82

Vancouver Fraser Port Authority,9

Finance Canada, 7

Global Affairs, 7

Most lobbied subjects, based on the first two subjects per filing

Official languages, 30

Health, 19

International Trade, 18

Agriculture, 14

Transportation, 13

With files from Kirsten Smith