Proposal to transfer African Grey Parrots (Psittacus erithacus) from CITES Appendix II to Appendix I Proposal to transfer African Grey Parrots (Psittacus erithacus) from CITES Appendix II to Appendix I FAQ © C HARLES B ERGMAN 1 Proposal to transfer African Grey Parrots to CITES Appendix II to Appendix I 1 Do Grey parrots qualify for Appendix I listing? Yes. Marked declines in Grey parrot populations have been observed and are ongoing. These declines are driven by patterns of exploitation and decreases in habitat quality and area. In 2012 it was uplisted to Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species on the basis that “the extent of the annual harvest for international trade, in combination with the rate of ongoing habitat loss, means it is now suspected to be undergoing rapid declines over three generations (47 years)” (BirdLife International 2015). Recent accounts indicate population declines in excess of 50% over three generations (47 years) in multiple range States (Tamungang and Cheke 2012, Annorbah et al. 2016). In some areas, declines have been very severe; in Ghana, where Grey parrots were once common and widespread, populations have declined between 90 and 99% since the early 1990s (less than two generations) and there is no evidence that declines are any less severe elsewhere in West Africa (Annorbah et al. 2016). Grey parrots are locally extinct or known to occur in very low numbers in Angola, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Togo (Clemmons 2003, da Costa Lopes 2015, Martin et al. 2014a, McGowan 2001, Marsden et al. 2015, CITES 2014). The majority of exports now originate in the Congo basin, where rapid increases in trapping activity have been recently documented as trappers and traders move into new areas following localised collapses elsewhere (Hart et al. 2016). The proposal to transfer Grey parrots Psittacus erithacus from Appendix II to Appendix I of CITES is based on the species meeting the following biological criteria in accordance with CITES Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP16), Annex 1: • Paragraph C) i): A marked decline in the population size in the wild, which has been observed as ongoing. • Paragraph C) ii): A marked decline in the population size in the wild, which has been inferred or projected on the basis of a level or pattern of exploitation and a decrease in quality of habitat and a decrease in area of habitat because of high levels of deforestation in certain areas. 2 FAQ How will transfer to Appendix I benefit the species? Current harvesting practices are unsustainable and leading to collapses in populations. Export quotas are frequently exceeded and the existing permitting system is frequently misused by exporters. Furthermore, existing export quotas lack a robust scientific basis (Martin et al. 2014b) and no adequately functioning mechanisms for advising on safe levels of trade exist in any range State. Appendix I listing would improve regulation of international trade, preventing overexploitation until robust monitoring of wild populations has been established and management plans are in place. It would not prevent the export of Grey parrots bred in captivity providing breeding facilities are registered with CITES pursuant to Resolution Conf. 12.10 (Rev. CoP15). Grey parrots have been included on CITES Appendix II since 1982, during which time the species has been undergone four CITES Reviews of Significant Trade (a process intended to provide a ‘safety net’ to ensure trade under Appendix II does not harm the survival of the species). Trade under Appendix II is regulated under a quota system with exports only permitted with a permit issued on the basis that trade is not detrimental to the survival of the species. However, the lack of a scientific basis for export quotas and challenges of verifying export permits, which are frequently used fraudulently, means that export quotas have frequently been exceeded. According to UNEP-WCMC trade statistics, between 2007 and 2013: 28,721 wild specimens were reported in excess of country quotas; 2,983 were exported from countries with zero quotas; 15,114 were exported from countries with no published quota; 4,440 were reported to have originated in countries that have no wild populations; and 15,233 were reported to have been ‘Captive-bred’ in countries with no known commercial breeding facilities. Which countries support the proposal? The transfer has been proposed by seven African States: Gabon, Angola, Chad, Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo. The USA and EU are additional co-proponents. Following range State consultations by Gabon, the following range States also stated their intention to support the proposal at CoP17: Burundi, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Republic of Congo and Rwanda. 3 Proposal to transfer African Grey Parrots to CITES Appendix II to Appendix I 3 Won’t Appendix I listing just drive trade underground? No. There is already significant illegal trade in the species. Appendix I listing would remove the implementation issues currently encountered, and enable Parties to focus their enforcement efforts on interdiction and intelligence gathering. Under the existing permitting system, administered in accordance with the requirements of CITES Appendix II, there exist multiple opportunities for illegal activity, which frequently occurs under the guise of legal trade. Permits are falsified, stolen, used repeatedly and incorrectly (e.g. numbers stated are exceeded, countries of origin incorrectly stated) (CITES SC66 Doc. 28, CITES Notification 2012/021, CITES Notification 2014/017, CITES Notification 2012/021). Verifying the legitimacy of export permits creates a considerable administrative burden for importing countries and is often not possible within the constraints faced by local authorities. Improved enforcement would disincentivise trapping (often illegally and/or unsustainably) of wild Grey parrots. Importantly, the trafficking of wild parrots entails numerous logistical challenges that do not apply to other wildlife products such as rhino horn or elephant ivory or illegal drugs - live parrots must be frequently fed and provided with water and cannot be stored or stockpiled for prolonged periods. Large shipments of hundreds of live specimens would be relatively easy for law enforcement agencies to detect. What about the impact on the livelihood of people in rural areas? Although a wild Grey parrot might be sold by an exporter for around US $100 only a small proportion of this value is accrued by trappers. A study conducted in central DRC found trappers receive around $4-23 per bird (Hart et al. 2015). The majority of trapping was not conducted by local communities who live close to trapping sites but by trappers who had moved into the area from other regions in DRC (Hart et al. 2016). Similarly, in West Africa trappers from Ghana reportedly travelled to nearby countries to continue trapping Grey parrots (McGowan 2001). Recent reports from northern Republic of Congo, indicate that trapping was conducted by trappers from the DRC (Nishihara 2014). Elsewhere, such as the Bijagós islands of Guinea- Bissau, trapping is conducted by communities with traditional tenure rights over nesting areas. In such areas livelihood-based initiatives have proved successful in addressing overexploitation. 4 FAQ How will Appendix I listing affect owners of Grey parrots? CITES only affects international trade and will have few implications for people who already own Grey parrots or wish to buy captive-bred Grey parrots. Owners who are relocating to a different country will still be able to take their parrots with them by obtaining the required permits from the importing and exporting national management authority. How will Appendix I listing affect aviculturalists who breed Grey parrots? CITES will not affect trade in Grey parrots that does not cross international borders. Those wishing to export their parrots will still be able to do so providing their facility is registered with CITES (under Resolution Conf. 12.10 (Rev. CoP15). Breeders in South Africa, currently the largest exporter of captive-bred Grey parrots, retain only around 7.5% of chicks as future breeding stock (PASA 2016). Parrots that have bred in captivity will readily become breeders themselves, however additional breeding stock are currently sourced more cheaply from wild populations. Are there two species of African Grey parrots and are they both included? Up until 2012 there was general agreement among ornithological authorities that Grey parrots comprised two subspecies: Timneh parrots and (Congo) Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus timneh and P. e. erithacus). In 2012 the IUCN taxonomic committee recognised Timneh parrots as a separate species (P. timneh). This new taxonomy is yet to be recognised by the CITES Nomenclature Specialist. The Proposal applies to both subspecies recognised by CITES. 5 Proposal to transfer African Grey Parrots to CITES Appendix II to Appendix I 5 Literature cited Annorbah NND, Collar NJ, Marsden SJ. 2016. Trade and habitat Martin RO, Perrin MR, Boyes RS, Abebe YD, Annorbah ND, change virtually eliminate the Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus from Asamoah A, et al.2014a. Research and conservation of the larger Ghana. Ibis. 158: 82-91. parrots of Africa and Madagascar: a review of knowledge gaps and opportunities. Ostrich, 85(3), 205–233. BirdLife International. 2015. IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 31/03/2015. Martin RO, Gilardi JD, Johnson R, Kariuki Ndang’ang’a P, Fotso RC, Drori O, Perrin M. 2014b. Grey parrot Psittacus harvesting for Clemmons JR. 2003. Status Survey of the African Grey Parrot conservation must have a robust scientific basis: Commentary on (Psittacus erithacus timneh) and Development of a Management Tamungang et al. (2013). International Journal of Biodiversity and Program in Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. CITES, Geneva, Switzerland. Conservation, 6(11), 750–753. CITES.2014. Review of Significant Trade in specimens of Appendix- McGowan P. 2001. Status, Management and Conservation of the II species.