Overview of the Impact of CITES Cop16 Nomenclature Changes on Current EU Decisions

Overview of the impact of CITES CoP16 nomenclature changes on current EU decisions

(Version edited for public release)

Prepared for the

European Commission Directorate General Environment Directorate E - Global & Regional Challenges, LIFE ENV.E.2. – Global Sustainability, Trade & Multilateral Agreements

by the

United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre

August, 2013

UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre PREPARED FOR

219 Huntingdon Road The European Commission, Brussels, Belgium Cambridge DISCLAIMER CB3 0DL United Kingdom The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect Tel: +44 (0) 1223 277314 the views or policies of UNEP, contributory Fax: +44 (0) 1223 277136 organisations or editors. The designations Email: species@unep-wcmc.org employed and the presentations do not imply the Website: www.unep-wcmc.org expressions of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP, the European Commission or The United Nations Environment Programme contributory organisations, editors or publishers World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP- concerning the legal status of any country, territory, WCMC) is the specialist biodiversity assessment city area or its authorities, or concerning the centre of the United Nations Environment delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The Programme (UNEP), the world’s foremost mention of a commercial entity or product in this intergovernmental environmental organisation. publication does not imply endorsement by UNEP. The Centre has been in operation for over 30 years, combining scientific research with practical policy advice. The Centre's mission is to evaluate and © Copyright: 2013, European Commission highlight the many values of biodiversity and put authoritative biodiversity knowledge at the centre of decision-making. Through the analysis and synthesis of global biodiversity knowledge the Centre provides authoritative, strategic and timely information for conventions, countries and organisations to use in the development and implementation of their policies and decisions.

UNEP-WCMC provides objective and scientifically rigorous procedures and services. These include ecosystem assessments, support for the implementation of environmental agreements, global and regional biodiversity information, research on threats and impacts, and the development of future scenarios.

CITATION

UNEP-WCMC. 2013. Overview of the impact of CITES CoP16 nomenclature changes on current EU decisions. UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge.

Overview The changes in nomenclature that result from the adoption of new Standard Nomenclature references at CITES CoP16 (Resolution Conf. 12.11 Rev. CoP16) have affected a number of taxa subject to current or historic EU decisions. The taxa have been added to the Species database with the existing EU decisions applied according to a standard formula. In the case of taxonomic splits, if the newly recognised taxon occurs in a range State subject to EU decisions that were formed for the original taxon, then the decisions were added against the newly recognised taxon. If, following the split, the original taxon was considered to still occur in the range State subject to EU decisions, the decisions were maintained against this original taxon; otherwise they were transferred to the new taxon. Explanatory notes have been added in the Species database against relevant taxon/decision records arising from the CoP16 nomenclature changes. However, in some instances further scrutiny may be required to ensure that the relevance of the original decisions is maintained. In most cases, CITES trade data will not be available for the taxa recognised post-CoP16. List of taxa affected by changes in nomenclature that need additional consideration: Calumma tarzan: Taxonomic change: Split from C. furcifer. Distribution: Madagascar Decisions: C. furcifer from Madagascar is subject to a current Article 4.6(b) import suspension, first formed in 1999. Treatment of decisions in Species database: As C. tarzan occurs in Madagascar, the EU suspension information was added against it. Trioceros perreti and T. serratus Taxonomic change: Split from Chamaeleo wiedersheimi and transferred to Trioceros. Distribution: Cameroon (T. perreti, T. serratus), Nigeria (T. serratus) Decisions: Chamaeleo wiedersheimi from Cameroon is subject to a current Article 4.6(b) import suspension, first formed in 2001. Treatment of decisions in Species database: As both T. perreti and T. serratus occur in Cameroon, the current EU decision information was added against them. Trioceros sternfeldi

Taxonomic change: Split from Chamaeleo rudis and transferred to Trioceros. Distribution: United Republic of Tanzania Decisions: T. rudis from Tanzania is subject to a current positive opinion, last confirmed in 2010. Treatment of decisions in Species database: As T. sternfeldi occurs in Tanzania, the positive opinion was added against it. Phelsuma dorsivittata: Taxonomic change: Split from P. lineata. Distribution: Madagascar Decisions: P. lineata from Madagascar is subject to a current positive opinion, formed in 2006. Treatment of decisions in Species database: As P. dorsivittata occurs in Madagascar, the positive opinion was added against it. Phelsuma parva:

Taxonomic change: Split from P. quadriocellata. Distribution: Madagascar Decisions: P. quadriocellata from Madagascar is subject to a current positive opinion, formed in 2006. Treatment of decisions in Species database: As P. parva occurs in Madagascar, the positive opinion was added against it. Uroplatus sameiti: Taxonomic change: Split from U. sikorae. Distribution: Madagascar Decisions: U. sikorae from Madagascar is subject to a current Article 4.6(b) suspension, first formed in 2008. Treatment of decisions in Species database: As U. sameiti occurs in Madagascar, the current suspension was added against it. Candoia paulsoni

Taxonomic change: Split from C. carinata. Distribution: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands Decisions: C. carinata is subject to a current negative opinion from Indonesia (formed in 2012) and a current positive opinion from the Solomon Islands (formed in 2006). Treatment of decisions in Species database: As C. paulsoni occurs in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, the EU decision information relating to these countries was added against it. Python bivittatus

Taxonomic change: Split from P. molurus. Distribution: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam Decisions: P. molurus is subject to a current Article 4.6(b) suspension from China since 1997. Treatment of decisions in Species database: As P. bivittatus occurs in China, the EU suspension information was added against it. Gopherus morafkai

Taxonomic change: Split from G. agassizii. Distribution: Mexico, United States of America Decisions: G. agassizi is subject to current Article 4.6(b) suspensions from Mexico and the USA since 1997. Treatment of decisions in Species database: As G. morafkai occurs in Mexico and the USA, the EU decision information relating to these countries was added against it. As Mexico is not considered to be a range State of G. agassizii after the split (Murphy et al., 2011), the Article 4.6(b) suspensions from Mexico should be removed from G. agassizii.

References Glaw, F. and Rakotondrazafy, N. A. 2011. Phelsuma dorsivittata. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.1. URL: www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed: 13 August 2013.

Glaw, F. and Vences, M. 2011. Phelsuma quadriocellata. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.1. URL: www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed: 13 August 2013. Krause, P. and Böhme, W. 2010. A new chameleon of the Trioceros bitaeniatus complex from Mt. Hanang, Tanzania, East Africa (Squamata: Chamaeleonidae). Bonn Zoological Bulletin 57(1):19-29. McCoy, M. 2006. Reptiles of the Solomon Islands. Pensoft Series Faunistica, No. 57. Bulgaria. Murphy, R.W., Berry, K.H., Edwards, T., Leviton, A.E., Lathrop, A. and Riedle, J.D. 2011. The dazed and confused identity of Agassiz’s land tortoise, Gopherus agassizii (Testudines, Testudinidae) with the description of a new species, and its consequences for conservation. ZooKeys 113: 39-71. Pippard, H. 2012. The current status and distribution of reptiles in the Pacific Islands of Oceania. IUCN Oceania Regional Office. pp. 1-14. Randrianantoandro, J. C., Glaw, F. and Rakotondrazafy, N. A. 2011. Phelsuma parva. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.1. URL: www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed: 12 August 2013. Tilbury, C. 2010. Chameleons of Africa: An Atlas. Edition Chimaira. 831pp. Vences, M. 2011. Phelsuma lineata. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.1. URL: www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed: 13 August 2013.