EU WILDLIFE TRADE 2017 Analysis of the European Union Annual Reports to CITES 2017 EU Wildlife Trade 2017
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EU WILDLIFE TRADE 2017 Analysis of the European Union annual reports to CITES 2017 EU Wildlife Trade 2017 EU Wildlife Trade 2017: Analysis of the European Union’s annual reports to CITES 2017 Prepared for: The European Commission, Directorate General CONTENTS Environment, Directorate F – Global Sustainable Development, ENV.F3 – Multilateral Environmental Cooperation, Brussels, Belgium. Executive Summary 1 Published: January 2019. 1. Introduction 3 Copyright: European Commission 2019. 2. Overview of CITES trade 4 Citation: UNEP-WCMC. 2019. EU Wildlife Trade 2017: Analysis of Imports 4 the European Union’s annual reports to CITES 2017. Exports 8 3. Species showing noteworthy trends 13 Contributing Authors: Becky Price, Kelly Malsch, Aly Pavitt, Oliver Tallowin, Sophie Banks, Jessica Vitale, Aude Caromel, Emma Vovk Methods 13 and Pablo Sinovas. Taxa selected 13 4. Value of EU trade 20 Value of plant trade 20 Value of animal trade 23 The UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) is the specialist biodiversity centre of UN Annex A: Supplementary information 27 Environment, the world’s foremost intergovernmental environmental organisation. The Centre has been in operation for Annex B: Valuation methodology 30 40 years, combining scientific research with practical policy advice. This publication may be reproduced for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission, provided acknowledgement to the source is made. Reuse of any figures is subject to permission from the original rights holders. No use of this publication may be made for resale or any other commercial purpose without permission in writing from UN Environment. Applications for permission, with a statement of purpose and extent of reproduction, should be sent to the Director, UNEP- WCMC, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DL, UK. 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Printing on paper from environmentally sustainable forests and recycled fibre is encouraged. Executive summary 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report provides a detailed analysis of the trade Species levels were assessed against ‘noteworthy data submitted by EU Member States in their annual trends’ criteria, including: high volume, high volume reports for 2017. (globally threatened), sharp increase (global), sharp increase (country level) or trade in endangered The EU continues to be a key importing market for species. In 2017, 123 taxa imported into the EU as international wildlife trade, with approximately wild-sourced or ranched specimens met the 106 000 import transactions reported in 2017. ‘noteworthy trends’ criteria. The majority of these were Almost three quarters of the 3296 taxa imported by corals, followed by plants and reptiles. the EU in 2017 were plants and almost all imports were for commercial purposes. Live ornamental In 2017, the estimated financial value of EU imports plants were the commodity imported in the highest of CITES-listed animals was EUR 1506 million with quantities by the EU in 2017, predominantly the value primarily comprised of American alligator consisting of wild-sourced snowdrops (Galanthus small leather products and skins. The estimated spp.) and artificially propagated cacti, ponytail palms financial value of animal exports from the EU was and orchids. Other notable imports of plants included approximately EUR 2595 million, of which the vast artificially propagated orchid cultures, leaves from majority of value was from reptile leather products the sago palm (Cycas revoluta), stems from the and skin (85%). The value of plant imports in 2017 genus Rhipsalis, wood products largely pre- was approximately EUR 240 million, while plant Convention from the genus Dalbergia, timber export values in 2017 were estimated at EUR 262 carvings also largely pre-Convention from Dalbergia million. Snowdrops (Galanthus spp.), African cherry sissoo, wax from candelilla (Euphorbia antisyphilitica) (Prunus africana) bark, African teak (Pericopsis elata) and bark from African cherry (Prunus africana). sawn wood and candelilla (Euphorbia antisyphilitica) Reptile skins and small manufactured reptile leather wax accounted for 54% of the total import value. For products were also imported in high levels in 2017. exports, orchids accounted for 63% and cacti accounted 24% of the overall total value. The EU reported 336 000 export and re-export transactions in 2017, representing slightly higher levels than were reported in 2016 (314 000 transactions). The majority (63%) of these transactions were captive-produced and, similarly to imports, three quarters of the 2068 different taxa involved were plants. Prominent exports included live artificially propagated plants exported by the Netherlands, mainly comprising moth orchid (Phalaenopsis spp.), cacti and snowdrops. High levels of captive-bred sturgeon (Acipenser spp.) bodies, fingerlings and live eggs were also directly exported in 2017. Wild-sourced re-exports include American alligator skins (Alligator mississippiensis), snowdrops and wax from candelilla. As reported in previous years, the main wild-sourced direct export was live small giant clams (Tridacna maxima). 2 Pterapogon kauderni Introduction 3 Pterapogon kauderni 1. INTRODUCTION This report provides a comprehensive overview of This analysis is based on trade data reported by EU international wildlife trade by EU Member States in Member States in their annual reports to CITES which 2017. Species under international trade management was downloaded from the CITES Trade Database are listed in the Appendices to the Convention on (trade.cites.org) on 10th November 2018. The analysis International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild contains data from all 28 Member States. Further Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Annexes of the EU details of the data included, along with details of the Wildlife Trade Regulations,1 which enforce CITES in the basis of compilation of annual reports, can be found in EU. The aim of this analysis is to inform future trade Annex A. management in the EU, in order to ensure that international trade in wildlife is sustainable. For the first time, an interactive online dashboard has been produced as an accompaniment to this report, The report comprises a broad overview of the EU allowing users to filter the trade data and further Member States’ trade in 2017, a summary of species explore the trends highlighted in this analysis. The showing noteworthy trends in imports of wild-sourced dashboard can be accessed here. and ranched specimens, including those species listed in the EU Annexes but not included in the CITES Appendices, and an analysis of the financial value of EU imports and exports in 2017. Galanthus spp. 1 During 2017, the relevant EU Wildlife Trade Regulations were Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 as amended by Regulation (EC) 398/2009 and Commission Regulations (EU) 2016/2029 (until 20 January 2017) and 2017/160; Commission Regulation (EC) No 865/2006, as amended by (EC) No 100/2008, (EU) No 791/2012, (EU) No 792/2012 and (EU) No 2015/870; and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2015/736 (until 19 October 2017) and No 2017/1915. 4 EU Wildlife Trade 2017 2. OVERVIEW OF CITES TRADE This chapter provides a general overview of cases direct and indirect trade are considered together international trade in CITES-listed species in the EU, first unless otherwise specified. focussing on imports and then on exports. In both Imports The EU is a key import market for international trade in • More than one million reptile skins for commercial CITES-listed species, with more than 106,000 import purposes, including wild-sourced American alligator transactions in 2017 (records of import as included in (Alligator mississippiensis) from the United States of annual reports submitted by EU Member States to America (hereafter referred to as United States), CITES). As in previous years, almost all transactions wild-sourced Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) were reported for commercial purposes (94%) and from Malaysia and Indonesia, and ranched Nile transactions were dominated by plants, accounting for crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), predominantly from 74% of the 3296 different taxa that were imported into Zimbabwe. the EU in 2017. • Over one million artificially propagated orchid Imports into the EU in 2017 comprised of over 28 cultures imported by France, predominantly from million items which could be equated to one individual2 Taiwan, PoC. More than 1.1 million artificially (Figure 2.1) and approximately 8.5 million kg of propagated leaves from the sago palm (Cycas commodities reported by weight (Figure 2.2). Key revoluta) imported by the