WILDLIFE TRADE IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE A REVIEW OF CITES IMPLEMENTATION IN 15 COUNTRIES KATALIN KECSE-NAGY, DOROTTYA PAPP, AMELIE KNAPP, STEPHANIE VON MEIBOM A TRAFFIC EUROPE REPORT TRAFFICR This report was published with the kind support of Published by TRAFFIC Europe - Central Eastern, Budapest, Hungary. © 2006 TRAFFIC Europe All rights reserved. All material appearing in this publication is copy- righted and may be produced with permission. Any reproduction in full or in part of this publication must credit TRAFFIC Europe as the copyright owner. The views of the author expressed in this publica- tion do not necessarily reflect those of the TRAFFIC network, WWF or IUCN. The designations of geographical entities in this publication, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of TRAFFIC or its supporting organizations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The TRAFFIC symbol copyright and Registered Trademark ownership is held by WWF. TRAFFIC is a joint programme of WWF and IUCN. Suggested citation: Kecse-Nagy, K., Papp, D.; Knapp, A., von Meibom, S. (2006): Wildlife trade in Central and Eastern Europe. A review of CITES implementation in 15 countries. TRAFFIC Europe report, Budapest, Hungary ISBN 2-9600505-3-3 EAN code: 9782960050530 Cover pictures: Danube River. Credit: WWF-Canon / Anton VORAUER European Cyclamen Cyclamen europeaum. Credit: WWF-Canon / Michel GUNTHER Sturgeon Acipenser sturio. Credit: WWF-Canon / Hartmut JUNGIUS Brown Bear Ursus arctos. Credit: WWF-Canon / Michel GUNTHER Printed on recycled paper WILDLIFE TRADE IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE A review of CITES implementation in 15 countries by Katalin Kecse-Nagy, Dorottya Papp, Amelie Knapp and Stephanie von Meibom Farmer with cart and donkeys, Romania. © WWF-Canon / Anton Vorauer CONTENTS Acknowledgements 1 Executive summary 2 Introduction 8 Methodology 10 Overview of the legal trade in CITES-listed species in Central and Eastern Europe 12 Country reviews of the implementation and enforcement of CITES and the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations in Central and Eastern Europe 28 Bulgaria 29 Croatia 31 Cyprus 35 Czech Republic 38 Estonia 43 Hungary 46 Latvia 50 Lithuania 53 Malta 57 Poland 60 Romania 63 Serbia and Montenegro 66 Slovakia 70 Slovenia 74 Turkey 79 Overview of common issues related to the implementation and enforcement of CITES and the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations in Central and Eastern Europe 82 Discussion and conclusions 100 Recommendations 105 References 108 Annexes 109 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report was made possible with financial contributions from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management of Austria, WWF-Austria, WWF-Germany and WWF-Italy. The Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation is gratefully acknowledged for its support to TRAFFIC in the production of this report. TRAFFIC would also like to thank the Austrian Government, WWF-Austria, WWF-Germany, WWF-Italy and WWF-Hungary for providing general support to TRAFFIC Europe–Central Eastern Project Office. The authors are grateful to the numerous persons who kindly contributed to the preparation of this report by providing information for and reviewing parts of the report. In addition thanks are also due for assisting with the organization of meetings with national representatives of the different CITES and enforcement authorities in their respective countries, namely: Bulgaria: Valeri Georgiev and Maria Karadimova, Ministry of Environment and Water Croatia: Darka Spudic and Katica Bezuh, Ministry of Culture Cyprus: Antonis Antoniou and Elena Erotokritou, Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment Czech Republic: Jan Kucera, Ministry of the Environment and Pavla Rihova, Czech Environmental Inspectorate Estonia: Kadri Alasi, Ministry of Environment Hungary: Katalin Rodics, Levente Kőrösi, Anna Práger, Éva Haaz and Zoltán Czirák, Ministry of Environment Latvia: Gunta Gabrane and Kaspars Abersons, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Nature Protection Board Lithuania: Eugenijus Leonavicius and Kristina Klovaite, Ministry of Environment and Darius Mikelaitis, State Environmental Inspectorate Malta: Charmaine Barbara, Environment Protection Directorate, Malta Environment and Planning Authority Poland: Dagmara Nowacka, Ministry of Environment Romania: Adriana Baz and Roxana Cazacu, Ministry of Environment and Water Management Slovakia: Dana Kmecova and Darina Pospisilova, Ministry of Environment Slovenia: Robert Boljesic, Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy Serbia and Montenegro: Marija Smederevac, Ministry of Science and Environmental Protection and Lazarela Kalezic, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning Turkey: Serap Kantarli, Gökhan Seyhan and Adem Agir, Ministry of Environment and Forestry The writers are particularly grateful to John Caldwell and Tim Inskipp of UNEP-WCMC for their assistance in providing CITES trade data and information on the numbers of CITES-listed species in the Central and Eastern European region. We would also like to thank our colleagues from TRAFFIC and WWF for the assistance provided in the preparation of the report and for reviewing it: Volker Homes, Roland Melisch, Teresa Mulliken, Massimiliano Rocco and Maija Sirola (all TRAFFIC) and Magdalena Romanowicz (WWF-Poland). We highly appreciate the kind contribution of Britta Pätzold from TRAFFIC Europe–Germany to the section on trade in medicinal plants. A particular thank you is due to Caroline Raymakers, the former Director of TRAFFIC Europe for providing guidance and help with the content and with the technical details of the report. The contribution of photographs and maps by several individuals and organizations is much appreciated. 1 Wildlife Trade in Central and Eastern Europe EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Central and Eastern Europe1 (CEE) is a region rich in biodiversity and possesses the majority of the European Union (EU)’s natural wealth. It is home to a wide range of species that are rare or extinct in Western Europe and many of these species are listed in the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), such as the Brown Bear Ursus arctos, Wolf Canis lupus, several species of raptors including the Saker Falcon Falco cherrug, sturgeons, and a number of ornamental plant species such as Cyclamen spp. and Galanthus spp. Besides this rich biological diversity, the countries of the Central and Eastern European region are widely diverse geographically, ecologically, culturally and economically. However, in this report they are examined as a whole due to their recent or future EU Accession. The expansion of the EU from 15 to 25 Member States in May 2004 undoubtedly increased the size of the EU’s single market and the EU’s role as a major wildlife consumer and this trend is likely to continue with the next enlargement scheduled for Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, and Croatia, Turkey and other countries planning to follow soon after. Many of the countries in Central and Eastern Europe have traditionally played an important role as wildlife trade ‘transit countries’ in supplying wildlife and wildlife products imported from around the world to the EU. However, with an increase in the standard of living and growing economies, the importation of wildlife and wildlife products for national use and consumption has grown in recent years. Besides this, many of the countries covered by this report are important ‘source’ countries, which export wild species native to their countries to other parts in the world. Ten of the 15 countries considered in this report are members of the EU and therefore have to implement and enforce the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations which directly transpose the provisions of CITES in all 25 EU Member States. Two countries, Bulgaria and Romania, are Acceding countries, and hence have to comply with the requirements of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations from the time they join the EU – prospectively in 2007. Lastly, of the three remaining countries, Croatia and Turkey are considered Candidate countries and Serbia and Montenegro (see footnote below) is a Potential Candidate country and they too have to prepare their national wildlife trade legislation and administration before accession to the EU. This report presents an overview of wildlife trade-related issues in Central and Eastern Europe, including an analysis of the region’s role in global trade in wild animals and plants, examining trade trends and volumes, with a particular focus on species groups that are native to the region and listed in the Appendices of CITES. The report also presents a country-by-country review of the aspects related to the implementation and enforcement of CITES and the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations in the 15 Central and Eastern European countries and an analysis of the findings of these country profiles. The aim of the report is to provide up-to-date information about wildlife trade-related issues in the new EU Member States and the upcoming Acceding and Candidate countries and to highlight best practices as well as challenges and obstacles faced by this important region in implementing and enforcing CITES and the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations. The data used in this report are based on information compiled and collected on a country-by-country basis through available literature and reports, questionnaires,