Forty-ninth Meeting of the Council WP05.2.1 Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center The Rizqun International Hotel, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam 3-7 April 2017

CITES ISSUES: RESULTS OF THE COP-17 AND DISCUSSION OF FUTURE DIRECTION

Somboon Siriraksophon, Policy and Program Coordinator SEAFDEC Secretariat

Executive Summary

The triennial conference on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa from 24 September to 5 October 2016, known as #CoP17 or the World Wildlife Conference. The Convention was attended by over 2,500 representatives, including more than 180 governments, intergovernmental organizations, indigenous peoples, non-governmental organizations, philanthropists and businesses, which came amidst heightened international concern about the sustainability of wildlife resources, upon which livelihoods, national economies and regional security depend. Over 250 media have also registered for #CoP17.

Sixty two proposals proposed by 64 countries have been debated over two weeks in a global effort to enhance conservation and regulate the trade in wild and plants. Particularly, for the Commercially- exploited Aquatic Species, there were seven proposals made by CITES Parties on the inclusion into the CITES Appendix II i.e. Alopias spp. (thresher sharks), Mobula spp. (mobula or devil rays), Carcharhinus falciformis (silky shark), Holacanthus clarionensis (Clarion angelfish), Potamotrygon motoro (ocellate river ), Pterapogon kauderni (Banggai cardinalfish), and all species of Nautilus. In addition, there was one proposed downlisting of Crocodylus porosus (saltwater crocodile) from Appendix I to Appendix II, proposed by ASEAN Member State, Malaysia. The CoP17 also considered and decided upon many proposals and documents related to commercially-exploited aquatic species, in the agenda of Species specific matters such as sturgeons and paddlefish (Acipenseriformes spp.), conservation of and trade in Anguilla spp., review of precious corals in international trade [Order Antipatharia/Family Coralliidae], humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), sharks and rays (Elasmobranchii spp.), and freshwater stingrays ( spp.). The intervention, support from ASEAN-SEAFDEC member countries, and results of voting for commercially-exploited aquatic species at CITES COP-17 is appeared as Annex 1.

One of the important issues is the proposed proposal on “Conservation of and trade in Anguilla spp.” by the European Union as appears in the CoP17 Doc. 51, (Annex 2). In this regards, the United States of America, supported by Canada and Japan, proposed amendments to the draft decisions as follows:

 “Directed to range States and Parties” involved in trade in Anguilla species 17.x2 Range States and Parties, in collaboration with the Secretariat and FAO, are encouraged to: a) promote international or regional cooperation on a species-by-species basis, including the convening of regional meetings to discuss how to fill the information gaps and ensure long-term sustainability in the face of increasing demand from international trade; b) provide the Secretariat and their consultants with specific information needed for the purposes of completing Decision 17.x1 a) and b) as well as the results of the regional meetings; and c) participate, where appropriate, in the technical workshops and share expertise and knowledge on the priority topics identified (examples provided under in Decision 17.x1 d).  “Directed to the Animals Committee” 17.x3 The Animals Committee shall: a) consider, at its 29th and 30th meetings, the reports produced under Decision 17.x1, as well as the information submitted by European Eel range States and other eel range States pursuant to Decision 17.x2, and any “other relevant information on conservation of and trade in Anguilla species;”

In addition, China supported the overall approach but did not believe that other Anguilla spp. should be included in the Appendices. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), speaking also on behalf for TRAFFIC and the Zoological Society of London, recommended that the use and trade of all

1 Anguilla species be managed as a whole. The Convention on Migratory Species drew attention to a workshop for Anguilla anguilla range States that it would be convened in the following month. Finally, the Chair thanked the European Union for its willingness to support funding of the draft decisions.

Considering the impacts from CITES on trade, recently many commercially-exploited aquatic species not only sharks and rays but also other commercial species such as tunas, aquarium fishes, freshwater eels, and etc. have been raised for listing into the CITES appendix. In Southeast Asia, dealing with CITES issues needs to be improved for long term fisheries management such as:

1) Lack of awareness on CITES proposed proposal, by the reason that most of the responsible persons on CITES are from the forestry and environment agencies, but not fisheries. Even though, the ASEAN Expert Group on CITES (AEG-CITES) and CITES COP members are mostly from both two agencies. It is therefore the fisheries sectors/authority should involve on decision making and management of all fish and commercially-exploited aquatic species as well as joining the CITES-COP; 2) The AEG-CITES to meet once a year before circulation of the CITES proposed proposal, this means the AEG-CITES is not focused on how to work together in response to the proposed listing of species into the appendix, rather than to discuss the country proposal to CITES. In this connection, under the ASEAN mechanism there is no technical fisheries working group on CITES to support the AEG-CITES and ASWGFi’s decisions. 3) ASEAN Common Position (ACP) on CITES adopted by SOM-AMAF level, even though as a voluntary basis, in case of single AMS announces officially against the ACP, so what shall we do to improve and ensure the holiness of ACP.

REQUIRED CONSIDERATION BY THE COUNCIL

The Council Members are requested to take note the results of the CITES CoP17. The Council Members are also invited to provide policy directive to SEAFDEC and its Member Country to improve and strengthen the cooperation among the ASEAN Member States on Common Position on CITES. In addition, the Council Members are also requested to consider setting up the Technical Fisheries Working Group to work closely with the AEG-CITES and involvement in the decision and management at the CITES forum.

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Annex 1

SEAFDEC e-News from CITES CoP17 Vol.4

Day 10: Monday, October 3rd

INTERVENTION, SUPPORT FROM MEMBER COUNTRIES, AND RESULTS OF VOTING FOR COMMERCIALLY-EXPLOITED AQUATIC SPECIES AT CITES COP-17

Common Proposal No. Proposal Intervention Results of Voting Remarks Position Support/Abstain/ Oppose Prop. 42: Include Silky shark Japan, Carcharhinus Carcharhinus falciformis in Indonesia, 131: 5: 30 Oppose the falciformis, Appendix II SEAFDEC Proposal (Silky shark) (Oppose) Accepted

Include the Alopias Philippines Prop. 43: 108: 5: 29 Alopias spp. spp. in Appendix II Oppose the (support) (Thresher Proposal sharks) Japan(Oppose) Accepted

Include the genus Mobula Prop. 44: Oppose the Myanmar 138: 3: 20 Mobula spp. spp. in Appendix II Proposal (Oppose) (Devil rays) (except for Accepted Philippines) Prop. 45: Include Ocellate River Potamotrygon Stingray Potamotrygon Lao PDR Oppose the Withdraw motoro motoro in Appendix II (Oppose) Proposal () Prop. 46: Include Pterapogon Pterapogon kauderni in Appendix II Indonesia Oppose the Withdraw** kauderni Proposal (Oppose) (Banggai cardinal fish) Prop. 47: Include Holacanthus Vietnam Holacanthus clarionensis in Appendix II Vietnam, 97: 15: 21 blocked the clarionensis Oppose the Japan proposal (Clarion Proposal (Oppose) Accepted and asked angelfish) for voting

Include the Family Cambodia Prop. 48: Oppose the Nautilidae (Blainville, Cambodia, 102: 10: 9 blocked the Nautilidae spp. Proposal (Nautilus) 1825) in Appendix II (except for Japan proposal Philippines, (Oppose) Accepted and asked decision held in for voting abeyance) Transfer the Saltwater Prop. 24: Malaysia, crocodile (Crocodylus No Voting Saltwater Support the Cambodia, crocodile porosus) in Malaysia from Agreed with the Proposal Philippines (Crocodylus Appendix I to Appendix II, (except for ID & consensus porosus) VN, decision held Indonesia in abeyance) (Support) Accepted

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*CITES votes where consensus is not possible, with a two thirds majority required (Score: Support/Abstain/ Oppose) ** EU withdraws the proposal with proposed that Indonesia need to report Banggai Cardinal Fish to Committee 31 and will be bring to CoP18. This is a last volume of SEAFDEC e-News from CITES-CoP17, on behalf of SEAFDEC, Please accept our sincere gratitude to all Member Countries that support the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Common Sources: CITES-COP17 Positions during the CITES CoP17. This shows how we have moved together as committed By.. Policy and Program Coordinator through the SOM-AMAFF. These events have also brought us all closer together, and we are thankful to work with all Member Countries. … > Hope to see you again at the next CoP18 <

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