Aniba Rosaeodora (Decision 15.90)
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PC19 Doc. 16.4 CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA ____________ Nineteenth meeting of the Plants Committee Geneva (Switzerland), 18-21 April 2011 Timber issues ANIBA ROSAEODORA (DECISION 15.90) 1. This document has been submitted by the interim Vice-Chair of the Plants Committee with the assistance of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at the request of the Chair of the Committee*. 2. At its 15th meeting (CoP15, Doha, 2010), the Conference of the Parties amended Appendix II to include the species Aniba rosaeodora, following its adoption of the amendment proposal submitted by Brazil (CoP15 Prop. 29). The amendment entered into effect on 23 June 2010. 3. The species is listed with annotation #12, that is "logs, sawn wood, veneer sheets, plywood and essential oil (excluding finished products packaged and ready for retail)". 4. Additionally, to assist in the identification of specimens of the species in trade, CoP15 adopted Decision 15.90 on A. rosaeodora, which establishes that: Trading range States and importing Parties working with the Plants Committee, should: a) identify the best methods or potential methods for the identification of essential oil and, if required, wood; b) produce identification material and guidance; c) identify appropriate annotations to complement the proposed identification methods; d) explore whether additional species need to be listed to support effective identification and regulation of wood and oil; e) explore mechanisms for making non-detriment findings for this species; and f) report on their work at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP16) and, if necessary, prepare additional amendment proposals for CoP16. * The geographical designations employed in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the CITES Secretariat or the United Nations Environment Programme concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The responsibility for the contents of the document rests exclusively with its author. PC19 Doc. 16.4 – p. 1 5. On 24 August 2010, the Secretariat published Notification to the Parties No. 2010/027 on Information to be submitted for the 19th meeting of the Plants Committee and the 25th meeting of the Animals Committee, paragraph d) of which specified the information that range States and importing Parties of Aniba rosaeodora and Bulnesia sarmientoi should submit by 15 January 2011 for consideration at PC19. 6. Additionally, on 19 November 2010, the Secretariat published Notification to the Parties No. 2010/036 on Annotations for Aniba rosaeodora (Brazilian rosewood), Bulnesia sarmientoi (palo santo) and Euphorbia antisyphilitica (candelilla) in response to requests for clarification from representatives of the private sector on the scope of coverage of the annotations and how they should be interpreted. The Secretariat, noting that the Conference of the Parties had not defined some terms used in the annotations and seeking to provide guidance on implementation, indicated that it had used the following working definitions of certain terms used in the annotations: - ‘Essential oil’ means a hydrophobic liquid obtained from natural plant material by distillation with water or steam. The essential oil is subsequently separated from the aqueous phase by physical means. - ‘Extracts’ means substances extracted from raw plant material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol or water. - ‘Finished products’ means specimens that have been prepared for end use and that require no further alteration to effect their purpose. - ‘Packaged and ready for retail trade’ means in a state fit for being sold directly to or used by the general public, and includes ‘testers’. 7. With a view to obtaining additional information for the implementation of Decision 15.90 on A. rosaeodora, on 7 January 2011, the Scientific Authority of Mexico sent a questionnaire to the Management and Scientific Authorities of range States and exporting and importing Parties of the species [the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, France (including French Guiana), Japan, Peru, Suriname and the United States of America], based on information provided in the amendment proposal adopted at CoP15. 8. The questions with respect to A. rosaeodora were: i. What do you think are the best practical methods (i.e. that can be used by border and Customs officers) to identify the essential oil and, if required, wood of the species in trade? ii. Do you have identification materials for such trade? If so, please describe and, if possible, provide them. iii. Do you consider that annotation #12 is adequate to regulate trade in logs, sawn wood, veneer sheets, plywood and essential oil of Aniba rosaeodora? If not, please explain why and provide suggestions for modifying it. iv. Please indicate whether additional species need to be listed to support effective identification and regulation of A. rosaeodora wood and oil. v. Please indicate the harvest and management methods used to ensure the sustainable use of A. rosaeodora in compliance with Article IV of the Convention. Analysis of responses to Notification 2010/027 and to the questionnaire of the Scientific Authority of Mexico 9. Two Parties (Canada and the United States) responded to Notification to the Parties No. 2010/027, and six responded to the questionnaire circulated by the Scientific Authority of Mexico (Brazil, China, Germany, Peru, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States). The Annex to this document includes a compilation of the responses received. i. With regard to methods for identifying the essential oil and wood: There appears to be consensus that the focus should be on identifying the essential oil, not the wood, although China suggests that materials for identification of the wood should be prepared. With regard to the essential oil, Brazil and Peru note that the best method of identification is gas chromatography. PC19 Doc. 16.4 – p. 2 Germany and the United Kingdom concur, indicating that the best method is laboratory chemical analysis, which cannot be easily performed by Customs inspectors and officials. The United Kingdom notes that an “expert analyst” may be able to determine the amount of oil in a fragrance mixture or mix of other oils, but points out that the ability to do so depends on the amount of oil present in the mixture and that the level of confidence in the accuracy of the results may therefore vary considerably. The United States indicates that it has not had enough experience in implementing the listing to determine the best methods of identification. In response to Notification No. 2010/027, Canada suggests that the best method of identification may be the one developed under the relevant international standard (ISO 3761-2005), but notes that it appears necessary to develop standards of greater rigour for characterizing and differentiating essential oils at the species level. ii. With regard to identification materials: The countries all agree that no identification materials exist. Brazil is of the view that they are not needed. Germany and the United Kingdom, on the other hand, suggest that it is the exporting country that should develop such materials or that the industry should be consulted for assistance. Both these countries note that most importing countries have published standard specifications for the Brazilian rosewood oil and that there is also an ISO standard that defines the characteristics required by the industry. iii. With regard to whether annotation #12 is adequate to regulate trade in A. rosaeodora specimens: Brazil, China and Peru consider the annotation adequate. Brazil, referring to the annotation in relation to essential oil, states that pure oil, oil in solutions and oil derivatives should be regulated, but not solutions at concentrations of under 1 %. The United Kingdom suggests that a clear definition of “essential oil” is needed in order to clarify whether the term covers pure oil, raw oil, oil mixed with other oils, oil in bulk and oil as a finished product. The United Kingdom also notes that the participation of the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) during PC19 will be helpful in that regard. Canada, in response to Notification No. 2010/027, points out that CITES should recognize international standards for the chemical content of the essential oil or oil derivatives in order to achieve the level of regulatory specificity required by the Convention. Germany and the United Kingdom also suggest considering the possibility of removing the bracketed language "(excluding finished products packaged and ready for retail trade)", which could be seen as superfluous since the annotation indicates what is included in the Appendices, and anything that is not mentioned is therefore not covered. In addition, with a view to reducing the number of annotations, they suggest considering the possibility of merging annotation #12 with other existing annotations. Finally, the United States indicates that it has not had sufficient time to determine whether the annotation is adequate. iv. With regard to look-alike issues: Brazil does not consider it necessary to include other species in the CITES Appendices, but Germany, Peru, the United Kingdom and the United States request clarification as to whether other species of the genus, such as Aniba fragrans and Aniba parviflora, are harvested for oil extraction and whether it is possible to distinguish the essential oil of A. rosaeodora from that of those species. Peru suggests that other species of the family Lauraceae should be analysed and points out that linalool is present in other herbaceous plants such as lavender and bergamot. Canada, in its response to Notification No. 2010/027, suggests that additional species should be listed only if species-level identification of essential oil components proves impossible or impractical. v. With regard to sustainable use of A. rosaeodora (NDFs): Only Brazil and Peru responded to this question.