spotlight cites 101 / 14 Understanding Appendices, CoPs and Permits by claire hood cites Manages Freshwater Turtle Trade / 17 by Thomas Leuteritz and BRUCE WEISSGOLD cites CoP16 / 18 What Will Make the Headlines? by Claire Hood
Partnering to Conserve Native Species / 20 Promoting by Patricia De Angelis the sustainable use and Anne St. John
40 Years of cites Around and conservation the World / 22 of wild plants and animals
Venus’ flytrap plants and bottlenose dolphins are protected by cites. Years
12 / Fish & Wildlife News Winter 2013 This year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or cites. This international treaty on wildlife trade helps ensure that trade does not threaten species’ survival in the wild. The 177 member nations of cites (called Parties) work together to protect almost 35,000 species of plants and animals. To help celebrate, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Claire Cassel spoke to two figures immersed in cites history. The following are excerpts from the interviews with Marshall Jones and Lee Talbot.
marshall Jones: Lee talbot: founding A World Without cites father of cites is Inconceivable Lee Merriam Talbot Ph.D. is an Marshall Jones is a Senior Conservation ecologist and geographer; specialist in Adviser at the Smithsonian Conservation international environmental affairs, ecology, Biology Institute (SCBI), a 3,200-acre environmental policies and institutions, conservation and research facility in Front conservation biology and natural resource Royal, Virginia. Before going to SCBI, Jones management, with more than 60 years of worked for 32 years for the Fish and Wildlife professional experience, approximately half Service, starting in 1975 as a wildlife biologist spent working on environmental issues in and technical writer with the Office of 134 countries outside the United States Talbot Endangered Species. During his career, is currently senior professor of environmental Jones served on the U.S. delegation to the science, international affairs and public first meeting of the Conference of the Parties policy, Department of Environmental Science (CoP1) to cites. He served as a member of and Policy at George Mason University. Past U.S. delegations to 10 CoPs, holding several positions include Assistant to the Chairman leadership positions. Jones also erved for the President’s Council on Environmental as the first Assistant Director of the Service’s Quality; Director General, World Conservation International Affairs programs and Deputy Union—IUCN; and Visiting Fellow, World Director and Acting Director for the Service. Resources Institute.
CoP1: Setting the stage What was your involvement in the I started working for the Service in drafting of cites? April 1975 as the editor of the Endangered While attending a conference in Arusha Species Technical Bulletin (now known as in northern Tanzania in 1961, I pulled the Endangered Species Bulletin). After together wildlife officials from a number less than a year, I was asked to serve as of African countries to discuss the issue a consultant for zoological issues to the of endangered species and poaching and U.S. delegation for CoP1. At that time, what could be done about it. Poaching was the Fish and Wildlife Service did not a big problem—things like zebra hides, have a Scientific Authority office. elephant ivory, rhino horn, crocodile and leopard skins. Of course, poaching is still As the depositary government for the a big issue today. Convention, Switzerland paid for and hosted CoP1 in November 1976 in Bern, The consensus from that meeting was Switzerland. Bern was a good choice; it that the problem stemmed from the was a small city without the distractions demand end of things, specifically Europe of a tourist destination such as Geneva. and the United States. The supply countries lacked the dollars and the CoP1 set a pattern of English, French and manpower to protect the species from Spanish as the working languages for the highly organized poaching operations. Convention. That meant that simultaneous In response, I proposed a convention on trade to get at the issue of demand.
Continued on page 15 » Continued on page 16 » ly tra p : N oah E lhardt/W i k med a Commons D ol p h i n: A ll son H enry/ NOAA / NE F S C f ly
Winter 2013 Fish & Wildlife News / 13 spotlight
cites 101 Understanding Appendices, CoPs and Permits
Until the early 1960s, trade in wild animals and plants focused on consumer demand with little regard for its impact on the long-term survival of species. But, as international discussions turned to this unregulated trade and the threat it posed to wildlife, cites was born.
n 1963, a resolution adopted at a n Appendix II is composed of species that, Imeeting of the International Union for although currently not threatened with the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in extinction, may become so without trade Nairobi, Kenya, led to the drafting of controls. Most cites species are listed the Convention on International Trade in this appendix, including American Bobcat skins with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service cites tags. in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna ginseng, paddlefish, lions and many corals. and Flora (cites). Ten years later, n Appendix III comprises species for the text of the Convention was approved which a range country, based on their own Secretariat and approved observers, in Washington, DC, at a meeting of legal protections for a species, has asked including conservation and industry representatives from 80 countries. other Parties to help control international organizations. On July 1, 1975, cites took effect. trade. Examples include map turtles, walrus and Cape stag beetles. Permits: More Than Paperwork Today, the 177 member nations of cites The backbone of cites is the permit (called Parties) work together to protect system that facilitates international almost 35,000 species of plants and The cites Structure cooperation in conservation and trade animals by ensuring that international cites is administered by a Secretariat, monitoring of cites-listed species. trade is legal and does not threaten their located in Geneva, Switzerland. Three Permits are issued only if a country’s survival in the wild. permanent committees (Standing, Animals Management and Scientific Authorities and Plants) provide technical and scientific determine that trade is legal and does How cites Protects Species support to the Parties. Each Party not threaten the species’ survival. The International trade in plants and animals, designates Management and Scientific use of standardized permit forms allows whether taken from the wild or bred in Authorities to issue permits, make legal officials at points of export and import captivity, can pose serious risks to wildlife and scientific findings, and monitor trade. to verify that specimens are properly species. Without regulation, international In the United States, the U.S. Fish and documented. They also allow for collection trade can deplete wild populations, leading Wildlife Service’s International Affairs of species-specific trade data to determine to extinction. The goal of cites is to Program carries out these functions. trends in trade, identifying increases facilitate legal, biologically sustainable or decreases in trade levels that may trade, whenever possible. But, in some The cites Parties, collectively referred indicate a need to reassess a species cases, no level of commercial trade can to as the Conference of the Parties (CoP), listing in the cites Appendices. be supported. meet approximately every three years to review cites implementation and assess Over the last several decades, cites has Species are listed in one of three the status of species in trade. During helped ensure the global conservation appendices: this meeting, Parties review and vote of species. Increased commitment by on proposals to improve the effectiveness Parties to effectively implement the n Appendix I comprises species threatened of the treaty and make amendments treaty, including stronger legislation and with extinction and provides the greatest level of protection. International trade to Appendices I and II. Through the enforcement at the national level, has for primarily commercial purposes is adoption of resolutions and species helped control worldwide over-exploitation essentially prohibited. Examples include proposals, the CoP develops practical of wildlife. gorillas, sea turtles and giant pandas. solutions to complex wildlife trade problems. Attendees include Party Claire Hood, International Affairs, Headquarters delegations, representatives of the cites
14 / Fish & Wildlife News Winter 2013 spotlight
Jones interview, continued from page 13 interpreters were provided for these three languages, and those countries speaking other languages were required to provide and pay for their own translators.
What were the main goals of CoP1? The first and biggest goal of CoP1 was to fix some oversight in the list of species Di r c k Byler/U S FW that were adopted in 1973. For example, (Right): A Service wildlife inspector checks out and the African elephant was not included identifies an iguana. (Above): The Service’s Wildlife in the initial list of species, in either Without Borders program has a multi-year cooperative Appendix I or II, while the Asian elephant agreement with the Garoua Wildlife College in Cameroon was in Appendix I. To rectify this, the aimed at enhancing wildlife conservation in Central United Kingdom submitted a proposal and West Africa.
to put the African elephant in Appendix U S FW I. Switzerland proposed placement in Appendix II. The U.S. supported the the 1989 Appendix I listing of the African Swiss proposal; the terrible poaching elephant. Later, they realized that it was No CITES, no ESA? of elephants, which led to the U.S. not to their advantage to be treated as support of the 1989 Appendix-I listing, non-Parties and removed the reservations. “Those who were involved in negotiating had not yet commenced. cites in 1973 were also involved in These two principles are so important developing the Endangered Species The second major goal was to establish and contributed greatly to the success Act. The law that was in effect at ground rules for operating the Convention. of cites. the time—the Endangered Species The U.S went into the Convention with Conservation Act—was very weak with the notion of a precautionary principle. What are the challenges in minimal regulatory effect. A new esa That is, if there’s doubt then lean toward implementing cites? was needed to both implement cites and protection of a species. cites is only as strong as the Party address domestic issues. John Dingle in countries’ own enforcement. There are the House of Representatives was key What were the successes of CoP1? lots of developing and developed countries to that effort. He pushed for cites, the Rules, regulations and procedures were who don’t care—or who don’t have the esa—and funding. There were people the biggest successes of CoP1. The most resources to implement their laws. There’s in Congress, government and academia critical of these was a rule—advocated by corruption and huge money involved that’s all thinking about how to develop a treaty the U.S. and adopted by the Parties— fueling the poaching. and a U.S. law to put teeth into the treaty that required the same documents and and address domestic issues. permits of non-Parties as from Parties. What does the future of cites look like? The message was clear: you need a permit, We need to address supply as well as I’m convinced that without the U.S. and you need a process to meet cites demand. We need to put more money we would not have cites. And without requirements. This requirement put toward supporting rangers on the ground cites there would not be an esa— pressure on countries to join the treaty. so that we can prevent animals from dying or at the very least there would be a and keep them out of trade. Illegal wildlife weakened esa.” Another success was the adoption of trade has become the training ground for requirements for Parties that take organized crime. To be effective in fighting reservations to species listings in it, we need to enforce laws and use the develop apps so that government officials Appendix I or II. Although a Party can best techniques available. We need to can identify wildlife parts or products on decide not to recognize a species listing, bring strong sanctions against countries the fly. We need social media to get people it still must issue a permit that meets that are issuing corrupt and bad permits. to take action. We need to get non- cites requirements before it can export government organizations more involved. the species. There are no free passes, We need to modernize cites, make it and taking a reservation actually puts a known among people who care about A world without cites is inconceivable. country at a disadvantage. For example, wildlife and constantly improve its profile. South African Parties took reservations to We need to engage electronic media and
Winter 2013 Fish & Wildlife News / 15 spotlight
Talbot interview, continued from page 13
In 1963, I brought the proposal to the Zimbabwe), Malawi, South Africa, Egypt, International Union for Conservation of Sudan and Iran were among the Nature (IUCN) General Assembly in developing countries that helped promote Nairobi, Kenya, where it was presented the convention. Germany, France, England as a resolution and passed unanimously. and the United States were among the Subsequently, it went through three or ln 2007, Lee Talbot with his wife, Martha Walcott developed countries. four iterations as the result of review Hayne, journeyed to a previously unexplored part of the by IUCN member governments and Annamite Mountains of Laos and are shown holding the As you look back over its implementation, non-government organizations. Explorers Club flag. The Explorers Club flag is given to what are cites’ major successes? outstandingly significant expeditions. cites’ successes are a kind of roller By 1969 the IUCN had a pretty good coaster. Elephants were a major success, draft of an international wildlife trade particularly in southern Africa, when convention. At that time I was with the components of the Stockholm agenda and, cites first closed the door on legal trade. Smithsonian but was also an adviser to of course, we included the official U.S. Trade of rhino horn was another southern the Joint Senate/House Environment proposal on the agenda. I also traveled Africa success story until this year. Other Committee. One of the issues that came on behalf of the White House to Africa, major successes include trade in leopard up was the redrafting of the Endangered Europe and other regions to explain the hide and other skins intended for clothing Species Act, and we actually got a line in convention and seek support for it. The or trophies and some plants, such as the 1969 version of the ESA authorizing U.S. proposal as well as a proposal for a desert plants and even orchids. the government to hold an international plenipotentiary conference was presented conference to develop an international at Stockholm and accepted with nearly Where the end result is display, cites convention to control trade. unanimous support. has been exceedingly effective. There is a direct relationship between the objective In 1970, I went to work for the newly Early in 1973, we held the plenipotentiary for the poaching and the success of cites. created President’s Council on conference in the State Department in Where demand is driven by the desire for Environmental Quality (CEQ) as Assistant Washington D.C. with some 80 countries display, the controls have been good. But, to Chairman Russell Train. One of the represented. IUCN served as staff for when demand is driven by less visible things I had on my agenda was to try to the conference, and the Convention on uses, such as traditional home remedies, get the convention enacted, and Russ was International Trade in Endangered then control is less successful. strongly supportive. Shortly after that, Species of Wild Fauna and Flora was we began preparations for the 1972 U.N. negotiated, signed and since ratified, cites has also been successful in raising Conference on the Human Environment well and truly. consciousness in Africa, Asia and Latin in Stockholm. We developed the draft a bit America as well as other regions of the further and also got agreement from the What countries were particularly active world about the consequences of illegal State Department and the Department in promoting the convention? wildlife trade. of the Interior for the U.S. to host a Kenya wanted a stronger convention than plenipotentiary conference to negotiate the one that was agreed to. From my What are cites’ major challenges? it. As co-chairs of a U.N. preparatory point of view, that was fine. England was We need stronger enforcement of the laws committee for the Stockholm supportive, but somewhat hesitant due that are in place in member countries. For conference, Assistant to concerns about the difficulty in using example, some major consumer countries Secretary of the Interior untrained customs officials to identify in Asia have reasonable laws but don’t Nat Reed and I the difference, for example, between enforce their laws. We also need education prepared the an African spotted cat and a leopard. as well as more surveillance within the conservation The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service supply countries. was starting to develop identification Talbot says cites cut manuals. These were helpful in terms What does the future cites look like? trade in rhino horn until of implementing the convention, We need to find more and better ways to recently. but were also helpful at the time get at the demand side of illegal wildlife of negotiating it. trade. We also need more funding to build capacity to do research for better ways Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika to identify the products and interdict (now part of Tanzania), the trade. Some of the non-government Northern Rhodesia (now organizations are doing this work now, Zambia) and Southern namely DNA identification of ivory and
U S FW Rhodesia (now whale meat.
16 / Fish & Wildlife News Winter 2013 spotlight
demand for wild-caught males still exists because captive breeding seems to Shell-Shocked produce only females, and high demand encourages the construction of additional farms that require wild animals as Trade in Turtles breeding stock. Threatens Species To help conserve the golden coin turtle, Zhou’s box turtle and seven other Cuora box turtle species, the United States and Tortoises and freshwater and terrestrial turtles are the world’s most China have joined together to strengthen endangered vertebrates. The Service has been involved in cites cites protections by proposing to eliminate trade in wild-caught animals. efforts to better monitor and regulate their international trade. A joint CoP16 proposal includes a zero quota on exports of wild-caught specimens lobal commerce in turtles in the last Appendices but also to bring countries for commercial purposes. G20-plus years has followed a well-known together to strengthen implementation pattern of boom and bust in international and enforcement of cites. This The United States has also partnered wildlife trade: Once a species is depleted international cooperation is vital to with Vietnam on a proposal to transfer or regulated, trade shifts to species not as conserving tortoise and turtle species. the big-headed turtle from Appendix II threatened or less regulated. Consider the plight of Asian box turtles. to Appendix I, which would prohibit commercial trade in the species. International trade in turtles is most Asian Cuora box turtles—about 10 to common in Asia, with supply countries 12 species—have a history of local and These two proposals, along with six other feeding well-established legal and illegal international exploitation for food, turtle proposals submitted by the United trade networks supplying markets in China traditional medicine and the pet trade. States, will ensure that turtles are a focus and other consumer countries in East Asia. Originally, several of the species were of discussion at CoP16, even though these Buyers in Asia primarily use turtles as food only known from specimens found in species may not “make the headlines.” or in traditional medicine. But a growing Asian food markets. pet trade across the region impacts a Thomas Leuteritz, PhD and Bruce Weissgold, number of threatened species. Many The locations of wild populations, if any International Affairs, Headquarters freshwater turtles also come from the existed, were unknown. As discoveries United States—mostly from turtle farms. were made regarding their ranges in the Turtle proposals submitted wild, many of these box turtle populations Because of their life-history traits— were found to have fewer than 100 by the United States including adult longevity, late maturity, individuals, and in some cases only a Transfer Burmese star tortoise to Appendix I limited annual reproductive output, and handful. Even today, the status of Zhou’s from Appendix II. high juvenile and egg mortality—turtles box turtle in the wild, with approximately are vulnerable to the effects of over- 100 known living specimens in captivity, Add 15 Asian pond and river turtles to harvest. Their long lifespan creates a high is a mystery. Appendix II and establish zero quotas for 15 currently listed species (Co-sponsored probability that some hatchlings will by China). survive to maturity, but this strategy may The golden coin turtle, also known as the be overwhelmed by the impacts of human three-striped box turtle, has long been Add eight Asian softshell turtles to exploitation. Harvest of adults leads to used in China, primarily for traditional Appendix II and two to Appendix I too few eggs being laid and thus fewer medicines. Live turtles are kept for good (Co-sponsored by China). hatchlings to survive to maturity. Human luck or as a financial investment, and Transfer Roti Island snake-necked turtle to exploitation of eggs also leads to fewer turtle populations tolerated low-level Appendix I from Appendix II. hatching and fewer hatchlings surviving to collection for these uses for centuries. maturity. In this way over-harvest often However, in the last three decades, Add Blanding’s turtle to Appendix II. leads to population collapse. demand has been fueled by the false belief Add Diamondback terrapin to Appendix II. that jellies and abstracts from this species Along with other countries—including cure cancer. High demand coupled with Add Spotted turtle to Appendix II. China, Germany, Indonesia and Vietnam— habitat loss has pushed this species to the Transfer Big-headed turtle from Appendix II the United States has spearheaded efforts edge of extinction. Despite farming of to Appendix I (Co-sponsored by Vietnam) not only to list species in the cites golden coin turtles by the thousands,
Winter 2013 Fish & Wildlife News / 17 spotlight
Myanmar (Burma) Laos
Thailand
BANGKOK ★ cites Cambodia CoP16 What Will Make the Headlines?
In March, delegates from around the globe will converge on the Polar Bear Proposal From 2001 through 2010, an average of Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand, 3,200 items made from polar bears were exported or re-exported annually from for the world’s most influential meeting on international wildlife range states. This represents about trade—a meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to 400 to 500 polar bears per year. The United States has submitted a proposal cites. At this 16th meeting of the CoP, the most anticipated and to transfer the polar bear from cites Appendix II to Appendix I, which would potentially controversial proposals center on African elephants, prohibit international trade for primarily commercial purposes. Over time, trade white rhinos, polar bears and sharks. in polar bear skins has increased. The current level of trade may hurt the species African Elephant Proposal Shark and Manta Ray Proposals because trade, particularly commercial Burkina Faso and Kenya have submitted a Shark species, especially those with low trade, compounds the threat to the species proposal contending that any legal trade in reproductive rates, are vulnerable to over- posed by habitat loss. Inclusion of the ivory poses a very serious threat to elephant exploitation from the international fin polar bear in Appendix I would not affect populations. If passed, cites would not trade and bycatch, or unintentional catch the subsistence harvest of this species accept proposals to allow trade in elephant in nets meant for something else. Shark by Alaskan natives or other indigenous ivory from populations in Appendix II for fins are particularly in demand as a food peoples or the creation of handicrafts nine years from the last ivory sale in 2008. item and are highly valued in international using polar bear parts. This proposal, according to proponents, trade, with a wholesale value up to $39 reflects the intention of a 2007 agreement per pound. Proposals have been put forth When deciding its position on these among the elephant range states and to include several species of sharks— proposals, the United States will consider ensures that African elephants are not put oceanic whitetip, porbeagle and three a variety of information between now under threat from legalized ivory sales. species of hammerhead— and all manta and CoP16, including the proposal rays in cites Appendix II, to control itself, its own supplemental research, White Rhinoceros Proposal trade at biologically sustainable levels. public comments received during a Kenya believes the export of white rhino Adding commercially exploited marine 60-day comment period, reviews by trophies should not be allowed, citing species to the cites Appendices has IUCN Specialist Groups and other evidence that suggests that hunting been controversial. Some countries argue consultations. The Service will update trophies offer a legal pathway for criminal that Regional Fisheries Management U.S. positions as they become available networks to obtain horns, which are then Organizations (RFMOs) are the only on its CoP16 webpage at
18 / Fish & Wildlife News Winter 2013 spotlight cites CoP16 What Will Make the Headlines?
White rhinos in Nakuru National Park in Kenya.
The most anticipated and potentially controversial proposals center on African elephants, white rhinos, polar bears and sharks.
A U.S. proposal would put the polar bear in Appendix I of cites, The oceanic whitetip shark spans which provides the every ocean in tropical and most protection for subtropical waters, but populations species. have declined markedly. u ral Sci en c es vi a NOAA Mu se u m o f N at S FW , p olar b ear: Mi ke Du nn, N C tate ele p hants: G ary M . S tolz/U FW , shark: noaa, rh i nos: K arl tromayer/U Elephants in Tanzania, Africa.
Winter 2013 Fish & Wildlife News / 19 spotlight
From paddlefish and peregrine falcons to Atlantic Partnering bottlenose dolphins and orchids, cites protects more than 700 animals and almost 500 plants native to the United States to and its territories. Conserve
hese cites-protected species may Recovery for the alligator meant Tbe highly localized—like the Venus’ monitoring, protection, reintroduction, Native flytrap, native only to North and South ranching and captive breeding. In 1979, Carolina—or cross borders into other the American alligator was transferred countries, such as the 450 native cites- to cites Appendix II, allowing the listed species the United States shares resumption of commercial international Species with Mexico. Ensuring their conservation trade under a special rule; by 1987, and sustainable use in international trade the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requires collaboration with a vast network declared this reptile as fully recovered of species experts and resource managers under the ESA. The Claret cup cactus is one of many across the country and around the world. cacti in cites Appendix II. Today, the federal government, A Team Effort Protects Iconic state wildlife agencies, and the leather Native Species industry have worked together to The recovery of the American alligator, develop a management program native to 11 southeastern States, that includes a sustainable harvest, highlights a story of true teamwork. supporting industry while also Since the 1800s, this swamp dweller conserving the American alligator. had been hunted, largely unregulated, U.S. range states continue to for its skin to make high-quality leather protect American alligators against products. By the 1950s, hunting and overharvest for international trade. habitat loss had led to serious population declines, and some states ended hunting in Alligators are still listed as threatened the early 1960s. Listed as endangered in under the ESA , but only because 1967 under legislation preceding the U.S. of their similar appearance to the Endangered Species Act, and in cites American crocodile, which is listed as Appendix I in 1975, the American alligator endangered except in Florida, where received protection to aid its recovery. it is listed as threatened. The cites listing prohibited commercial international trade.
20 / Fish & Wildlife News Winter 2013 In 2011, the United States exported The southwestern United States shares more than 400,000 U.S. alligator much of its desert ecosystem, and the specimens, including skins, jewelry, plant diversity therein, with Mexico. leather products and scientific But even if you can easily buy a cactus in The recovery of the American alligator is a specimens. The recovery of the Mexico, you will need permits from the cites success story. American alligator, together with Mexican authorities, including cites the transformation of U.S. industry permits, to bring the plant into the United practices, demonstrates that States. These permits ensure that the The 83 institutions that participate on a conservation and sustainable use cacti were legally acquired and that the voluntary basis in the PRC Program can go hand-in-hand. trade is not detrimental to the survival provide permanent homes for live cites- of these species. listed plants that have been seized at “The recovery of the American U.S. ports of entry and exit and include alligator and the continued The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s them in their collections. Many of these sustainability of the industry Animal and Plant Health Inspection institutions use these rare and unusual demonstrate the power of Service (usda-aphis) has inspection plants to educate the public on cites collaboration between the usfws, personnel at ports of entry along the and the conservation of threatened plants the states and commercial interests nearly 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border, and their ecosystems. They may also through cites,” said Curtis Taylor including three cites-designated ports of propagate the plants and share their of the West Virginia Department of Nogales, Arizona; San Diego, California; progeny with other institutions or private Natural Resources, adding that it and Brownsville, Texas. growers, thus making them available for “is a model of how conservation further propagation and research and, should work.” When these inspection personnel discover potentially for rare species, reintroduction a cactus in a car at a border crossing, and into the wild. Partnerships Benefit Native Plants the person does not possess the required Nearly all of the world’s cites permits, the authorities seize the While many of these specimens will approximately 1,500 species of cacti plant because this trade may jeopardize never be returned to their wild habitats, occur in the Americas, from extreme the species’ survival in Mexico. The the partnership with PRC institutions southern South America to some question then becomes what to do with provides an opportunity to make the parts of Canada. Cacti vary in shape these seized specimens, which may weigh public aware of the rules regarding and size, and for hundreds of years, more than 100 pounds and be decades wildlife trade and to show the impact they have been sought by collectors old. This is when the Service’s partnership this trade can have on wild populations. around the world. With the exception with U.S. zoos, botanic gardens and of three genera, all species of cacti are research institutions, through the Patricia De Angelis and Anne St. John, included in the cites Appendices, U.S. Plant Rescue Center Program International Affairs, Headquarters with the overwhelming majority (PRC Program), comes into play. in Appendix II, which regulates international trade. gator: R o b ert B u rton/U S FW c a t u s: D r. T homas G . Barnes, all i gator: Winter 2013 Fish & Wildlife News / 21 40 Years of cites at-a-glance
1987 2007
CoP6 is held in Ottawa, Canada. The CoP14 is held in The Hague, Technical Committee, established in 1981, Netherlands. Marine species evolves to form the Animals, Plants and proposals are prominent at this Nomenclature committees. The Animals CoP, with proposals to list spiny and Plants committees are a major part of dogfish,porbeagle shark, European cites today. Several species of fruit bats eel, red and pink corals, sawfishes, are listed in Appendix II. and several other marine species in the cites Appendices. Despite this increased marine focus, only proposals to list European eel and 1994 sawfishes are adopted. CoP9 is held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It marks the first time students participated
Bar b ara Beggs in a cites conference. At a student mock
conference a week before the meeting, about 1973 noaa 550 students from area schools develop and discuss resolutions similar to those considered Eighty countries attend the at CoP9. They present those that passed by a plenipotentiary conference in two-thirds vote to the 1,600 delegates to the Washington, DC. After three weeks cites Convention. At CoP9, the Parties add of debate, the delegates agree to several species of aloe to Appendix I. the final text of the Convention, containing the preamble and the first 25 articles. Twenty-one countries sign the Treaty. 1979 cites takes effect July 1, 1975, after the 10th Party to the Convention, CoP2 is held in San Jose, Canada, ratifies the treaty. Costa Rica. The Parties
establish a permanent Standing Rvb /W i k med a Commons Committee, which to this day steers the work of the treaty between CoPs. The American 1985 1983 alligator is transferred to Appendix II from Appendix I CoP5 is held in Buenos CoP4 is held in because of successful Aires, Argentina. The Parties Gaborone, conservation efforts in the establish procedures for listing Botswana. All species United States. species in a new appendix, of musk deer are added Appendix III, which consists to Appendix I and II, of species for which a range depending on their country has asked other Parties location. 2002 to help control international CoP12 is held in Santiago, trade. One of the first species Chile. Populations of vicuna included in Appendix III is the in three South American giant pangolin, listed by Ghana. countries are transferred to Appendix II from Appendix I as a result of successfully implementing sustainable harvesting. Nic holas Bar b el/W i k med a Commons Ki lo bu g/W i k med a Commons
22 / Fish & Wildlife News Winter 2013 For 40 years, delegates from countries all over 40 Years of cites the world have met approximately every at-a-glance three years for the Conference of the Parties (CoP). 1992
CoP8 is held in 1989 2010 Kyoto, Japan. The Parties recommend CoP15 is held in Doha, CoP7 is held in Lausanne, the development of Qatar. The number of Switzerland. Amid criteria to amend observers present hits declining wild elephant Appendices I 350 non-governmental numbers, the Parties and II. These organizations and transfer the African recommendations elephant to Appendix other observers. NGO 1981
vi d Vogel/U S FW are adopted at CoP9.
participation in cites D a I, effectively banning CoP3 is held in New The American black negotiations has commercial international Delhi, India. The bear is added to S FW v erley T raylor/U consistently grown Wa trade in elephant ivory. Technical Committee is Appendix II. over time from only established to assess eight NGOs present at species worldwide. Sea CoP1 in 1976. turtles are transferred to Appendix I from Appendix II as a result of 1976 declining populations.
The first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to cites (CoP1) is held in Bern, 2004 Switzerland. The Parties lay the important foundation of CoP13 is held in the treaty by establishing Bangkok, Thailand. the criteria for amending Parties increase Appendix-I and -II listings. protection for several Several species of primate, large marine species by including lemurs, are added listing species of dolphin, to Appendix I. shark and other fish in 2000 Appendices I and II.
CoP11 is held in Gigiri, Kenya. This CoP focuses mainly on species-specific issues, with the African elephant taking center stage. The monitoring systems recommended during CoP10 2013 are cemented during this conference. These systems, MIKE and ETIS, are still used today CoP16 will be held in Bangkok, Thailand on and provide invaluable data on elephant trade March 3–14. The United States has submitted and poaching of elephants in the wild. a proposal to transfer the polar bear to Appendix I, thereby providing the highest level of protection available and prohibiting commercial trade in the species. Additionally, the United States has submitted or co- 1997 sponsored proposals to protect numerous species of turtles and sharks. CoP10 is held in Harare, Zimbabwe. The Parties vote to move several populations of African elephant to Appendix II as they successfully rebounded in the 1990s due to
increased protections. In addition, the G ary M . S tolz/U FW Parties pass a resolution to develop a monitoring system for African and Asian elephant populations.
Map outline by vectorworld.com. Version 2.2, © 2009, Graphics Factory CC
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