Local firearm owners are concerned about a new mandatory firearm marking requirement.

In accordance with the U.N Firearm Marking mandate, every firearm imported into Canada may soon have to have the characters 'CA-17' engraved.

Dominion Outdoors owner Tomm Penner says the requirement seemingly adds nothing in terms of public safety.

Currently every gun already caries a unique serial number used for tracking firearms.

"If it has an individual number on it already, why would we have to, after it comes to Canada, engrave four more characters that aren't unique to the firearm?"

The added cost for importers will carry over to customers.

"Us as Canadians... are being fined for a system that does absolutely zero to protect public safety," he says.

The requirement also applies to paintball guns and pellet guns, which he says could triple costs.

"Now that fifty dollar firearm has a two hundred dollar surcharge to get it engraved," he says. "It's absolutely preposterous."

Penner says he's especially concerned because of the lack of attention the requirement is receiving in government.

Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Bergen explains the requirement has been talked about for some time. When the issue came forward under the federal Conservative government she says it was not implemented.

"We saw it as needless, we saw it as just something that would put more burdens on law-abiding gun owners in Canada," she says.

Since coming into power the Liberal government is looking at introducing the legislation.

Bergen says enforcing the UN Markings mandate is a waste of energy and resources.

"We need to be targeting individuals who are using guns for criminal purposes, for illegal purposes, that's where the government's focus should be," she says. "Not more red tape and a few extra scratches on a gun."

The requirement is slated to come into effect June 1.

However, Penner and a group of concerned citizens has begun a letter writing campaign to flood Prime Minister Trudeau's office with signed physical letters protesting the requirement.