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VKM Report 2020:02 Assessment of trade in endangered species under the Norwegian CITES Regulation Scientific opinion of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment VKM Report 2020: 02 Scientific opinion of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) 2019: 02 ISBN: 978-82-8259-336-6 Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) Po 4404 Nydalen N – 0403 Oslo Norway Phone: +47 21 62 28 00 Email: [email protected] www.vkm.no www.english.vkm.no Suggested citation: VKM, Eli K. Rueness, Maria G. Asmyhr, Siobhan Dennison, Anders Endrestøl, Jan Ove Gjershaug, Inger E. Måren (2020) Assessment of trade in endangered species under the Norwegian CITES Regulation. Opinion of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment, ISBN: 978-82-8259- 336-6, Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM), Oslo, Norway. VKM Report 2020: 02 Assessment of trade in endangered species under the Norwegian CITES Regulation Note that this report was finalised and submitted to the Norwegian Environment Agency in 2016. With the exception change in CITES-status since 2016, no new data or information published after 2016 has been included in the species assessments. Authors of the opinion Eli K. Rueness (chair), Siobhan Dennison (Australian Museum), Anders Endrestøl (NINA) Jan Ove Gjershaug, Inger Elisabeth Måren, Maria G. Asmyhr (VKM staff) Competence of VKM experts Persons working for VKM, either as appointed members of the Committee or as external experts, do this by virtue of their scientific expertise, not as representatives for their employers or third party interests. The Civil Services Act instructions on legal competence apply for all work prepared by VKM. VKM Report 2020: 02 Table of Contents Summary ................................................................................................................ 5 Sammendrag på norsk ........................................................................................... 7 Abbreviations and/or glossary ............................................................................... 9 Background as provided by the Norwegian Environment Agency ........................ 11 Terms of reference as provided by the Norwegian Environment Agency ............. 13 1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 14 Regulation of wildlife trade ............................................................................................ 14 2 Literature/sources of information ................................................................ 17 3 Species assessments .................................................................................... 19 4 Uncertainties .............................................................................................. 172 5 Data gaps ................................................................................................... 174 6 References ................................................................................................. 175 Appendix I .......................................................................................................... 176 Appendix II ........................................................................................................ 179 VKM Report 2020: 02 Summary Globally, populations of wild animals and plants are decreasing due to habitat loss and degradation and recent numbers suggest that vertebrate populations have dropped with more than half (58%) since 1970. Another major cause of population decline is overexploitation, such as unsustainable hunting, poaching, and harvesting. The international wildlife trade, both legal and illegal, is estimated to be worth billions of dollars annually and comprises whole animals and plants (dead or alive) as well as parts or derivatives of organisms. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) aims to prevent over-exploitation of species caused by trade across borders. Currently, more than 35,000 species are protected at various levels by listing in the Conventions three appendices (Appendices I, II, III). So far, 183 countries have acceded the Convention and are thereby bound by CITES. These countries have to adopt a set of regulations to ensure a minimum protection level for species listed under CITES. All import, export, re-export and introduction of species covered by CITES has to be authorized through a licensing system controlled by national CITES management authorities. The CITES Convention opens for the use of stricter domestic measures. A number of countries, e.g. the EU, which has adjusted their regulations with regards to the Birds and Habitats Directives, are currently practicing stricter CITES regulations than Norway. The NEA has assigned VKM to evaluate the scientific basis for some of the species that are subject to stricter regulation than what is required by CITES. The altogether 123 species assessed include mammals (30), birds (55), reptiles (15), amphibians (1), terrestrial invertebrates (11) and plants (11). Six of these species are established and have breeding populations in Norway: Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), Western-marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Northern harrier (Circus cyaneus), European honey-buzzard (Pernis apivorus), Mountain apollo (Parnassius apollo) and Lady´s slipper orchid (Cypripedium calceolus) and three are extinct: Fen Orchid (Liparis loeselii), Red Kite (Milvus milvus) and Rock Pigeon (Columba livia). Further 25 species have been observed in Norway one or more times. Trade between Norway and other CITES Parties has been registered for 33 of the species since 1975. VKM has designated a working group comprising participants from the panel on Alien organisms and trade in endangered species (CITES), the panel on Genetically modified organisms, VKM’s secretariat and external experts. The project group has gathered scientific literature and trade data to evaluate the potential impact of trade on the sustainability of these species in the wild. VKM has summarized the material on each species in fact sheets. The fact sheets will form the scientific basis for a national public hearing of the proposed listings and uplistings of species. The species might subsequently be included in the annexes of the regulation. VKM Report 2020: 02 5 Key words: CITES, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild flora and fauna, VKM, Norwegian Scientific committee for food safety, Norwegian Environment Agency. VKM Report 2020: 02 6 Sammendrag på norsk Ødeleggelse og tap av leveområder fører til rask nedgang i ville bestander av dyr og planter på verdensbasis, og nylig publiserte tall viser at vertebratbestandene er mer enn halvert (58%) siden 1970. Overhøsting er en annen betydelig årsak til reduksjonen i flora og fauna og omfatter både lovlig og ulovlig sanking fra naturen (ved for eksempel hogst, jakt, fiske). Handelen med ville dyr og planter omfatter millioner av levende individer, organismedeler og ulike tilvirkede varer som omsettes for milliarder av kroner årlig på det internasjonale markedet. CITES-konvensjonen (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna) er en internasjonal avtale som overvåker og regulerer at handel med og transport av ville arter ikke er en trussel mot deres overlevelsesevne. Per dags dato har CITES 183 medlemsland. Disse landene er forpliktet til å iverksette ett sett med regler som sørger for at artene som dekkes av Konvensjonen får den beskyttelsen de skal ha. CITES opererer med tre appendiks som gir artene ulikt beskyttelsesnivå på bakgrunn av bevaringsstatus. All import og eksport av CITES-listede arter må autoriseres av nasjonale forvaltningsmyndigheter i medlemslandene. Miljødirektoratet er Norges forvaltningsmyndighet for CITES. CITES åpner for at medlemsland kan ha strengere nasjonal regulering av arter på CITES- listene. Dette er gjennomført i en rekke land, herunder EU, som blant annet på bakgrunn av sine fugle- og habitatsdirektiv har innført et strengere CITES regelverk enn Norge. Miljødirektoratet har derfor bedt VKM om å vurdere kunnskapsgrunnlaget for strengere listing av en 123 arter på EU-listene. VKM har gjennomgått tilgjengelig informasjon om de aktuelle artenes biologi, populasjonsstruktur, -størrelse og -trender, utbredelsesstatus, bevaringsbehov, bevaringstiltak og handelsstatus (lovlig og ulovlig), og har på grunnlag av denne informasjonen vurdert hvorvidt handel kan påvirke artenes overlevelsesevne. VKM har vurdert arter eller grupper av arter som tilhører de følgende taksonomiske gruppene: pattedyr (30), fugler (55), reptiler (15), amfibier (1), terrestriske invertebrater (11) og planter (11). Av disse artene har seks etablerte og reproduserende bestander i Norge: hvalross (Odobenus rosmarus), sivhauk (Circus aeruginosus), myrhauk (Circus cyaneus), Vepsevåk (Pernis apivorus), Apollosommerfugl (Parnassius apollo) og Marisko (Cypripedium calceolus) og tre har hatt bestander tidligere: Fettblad (Liparis loeselii) og Glente (Milvus milvus) og Klippedue (Columba livia). Ytterligere 25 arter har blitt observert i Norge en eller flere ganger (se Table 3-1). Det er registrert handel mellom Norge og andre CITES-nasjoner for 33 av artene siden 1975 (trade.cites.org.). Bakgrunnsinformasjon og overveielse av den mulige effekten av handel er oppsummert i et artsevalueringsark per listeforslag. VKM Report 2020: 02 7 VKM har utnevnt en prosjektgruppe bestående av medlemmer fra faggruppen