The TRAFFIC Bulletin is a publication of TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, which works to ensure that trade in wild plants TRAFFIC and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature. TRAFFIC is a joint programme of B U L L E T I N The TRAFFIC Bulletin publishes information and original papers on the subject of trade in wild animals and plants, and strives to be a source of accurate and objective information. The TRAFFIC Bulletin is available free of charge. Quotation of information appearing in 61 the news sections is welcomed without permission, but citation must be given. Reproduction of all other material appearing in the TRAFFIC Bulletin requires written permission from the publisher. Editor and Compiler Kim Lochen Subscriptions Susan Vivian The designations of geographical entities in this publication, and the presentation of the material, 67 do not imply the expression of any opinion what- soever on the part of TRAFFIC or its supporting organizations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Any opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of TRAFFIC, WWF or IUCN-The World Conservation Union. Published by TRAFFIC International, 80 219c Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, Cambs. CB3 0DL, UK. © TRAFFIC International 2002 ISSN 0267-4297 UK Registered Charity No. 1076722 Cover illustration of Japanese Eel Anguilla japonica (Temminck & Schlegel (1846). Pisces, Fauna Japonica, Parts 10-14: 258. Pl. 13 (Fig. 1)). This page, from top: Bear Paw Clam Hippopus hippopus (B. Lynch, CITES Identification Manual); Japanese Eel (as cover); Guaiacum sp. Funding for the printing and distribution of this issue of the TRAFFIC Bulletin is generously provided by The Rufford Foundation and The Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust. Printed on recycled paper by The Burlington Press (Cambridge) Ltd, Station Road, Foxton, Cambridge, UK. N E W S he 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties However, Parties need to move beyond an to CITES (CoP12) in November in Santiago will “endangered species” approach when addressing trade Tonce again put wildlife trade in the international in these species. The focus should not only be on the spotlight - highlighting to a world audience the threat continued survival of the species but also on ensuring that unsustainable trade in wild animal and plant species their security as wild resources that meet food, can pose to their survival. However, it is often forgotten economic and other human needs. The approach will that the over-harvesting, unsustainable use and illegal need a great deal of innovation and flexibility from trade of wildlife species threatens not only their contin- CITES, allowing it to transcend its traditional role as a ued survival but also the livelihoods of local communi- last-resort regulatory tool and become part of a more ties and local economies that depend upon these species. integrated management effort - providing Parties the Wild plants and animals have been and continue to processes and mechanisms necessary to complement be a critical source of food and income for a wide range and strengthen their own national policies and legisla- of communities and societies - from traditional hunter tion. gatherers and small fishing communities to large multi- Such an approach will also test CITES’ ability and national companies and consumers in urban centres flexibility to interact, co-operate and integrate with the wide range of other multilateral environ- mental agreements that regulate and man- age the harvest and use of wild resources. EDITORIAL CITES will need to demonstrate that it not only has the potential to support other management regimes in meeting their across the globe. While wildlife represents the only objectives, but also be an effective safety net for some viable source of food in some communities, in others species when these management regimes cannot address food harvested from nature has formed the basis for their sustainable use and conservation effectively. large industries. The economic survival of many fishing However, perhaps the greatest challenge in promot- communities depends upon healthy stocks of these same ing the use of CITES in managing the sustainable use of fish which form the basis of large-scale fisheries that wildlife resources is the misconception that CITES list- contribute greatly to national economies. However, ings will always lead to trade bans. CITES is an such stocks are now facing intense pressure from exces- international trade mechanism capable of helping to sive harvests and illegal, unreported and unregulated address concerns such as illegal harvesting and trade and (IUU) fishing. For example, even a conservative unsustainable management, and not just a means to stop estimate by TRAFFIC puts the IUU catch for Patagon- international trade when other conservation efforts have ian Toothfish as accounting for half of the specimens failed. Appendix II provisions, indeed, facilitate the traded in 2000 - completely undermining the effective- controls, processes, tools and information that will assist ness of international conservation efforts and manage- countries in managing their natural resources so that ment regimes for the species. species’ populations do not reach the point where trade Forests are another important resource for many bans could be the only management option left. CITES national economies. However, governments are experi- has recognized that sustainable trade can itself con- encing dwindling foreign currency exchange and tax tribute to the survival of a species by providing value revenues due to the illegal timber trade: businesses lose and therefore economic incentives to ensure its contin- millions of dollars to illegal logging operations and the ued existence. Parties will need to embrace this lofty livelihoods of many local communities that depend ideal if they are indeed to rise to the challenge. upon these natural resources for employment and income are being threatened. Growing international Sabri Zain, Advocacy and Campaigns Director, demand, and prices for certain high-value timber species TRAFFIC International especially, are encouraging individuals to find even more ways to evade national forest controls. The effec- tiveness of these controls is further diminished by the financial, logistical and human resource limitations CITES PARTIES faced by the authorities tasked to implement and enforce them. The number of Parties to CITES has increased to 160: It is evident that much more needs to be done in areas Lithuania’s accession came into force on 9 March 2002; such as fisheries and timber. With proposals to include a Ireland ratified CITES on 8 January 2002 (effective 8 number of commercial fisheries species and a commer- April 2002), followed, on 12 August, by Kuwait cial timber species in Appendix II at the coming CoP, (effective 10 November 2002); on 15 August, Bhutan there is a golden opportunity for CITES Parties to meet acceded to the Convention (effective 13 November this challenge - not only to empower CITES to play a 2002). more positive role in the management of our planet’s natural resources but also to expand the scope and flexi- CITES Secretariat, 3/11 January; 21 August 2002 bility of the treaty, thereby strengthening its effectiveness. www.cites.org/eng/news/party TRAFFIC Bulletin Vol. 19 No. 2 (2002) 51 N E W S TRAFFIC OFFICES A new arm of the TRAFFIC network has been set up in Hungary, hosted by WWF Hungary. With effect from October 2002, ATTILA STEINER will be responsible for the TRAFFIC Europe-Candidate Countries Programme based in Budapest. Work will focus on five of the 13 countries that are likely to accede to the European Union in the near future: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Assistance will be given to the relevant authorities with the implementation and enforcement of CITES and in the preparation of the EU accession with regard to implementation of regulations (EC) No. 338/97 and 1808/2001, which form the legal basis of CITES pro- visions in all EU Member States and which automatically apply bulletin board once a country has joined the EU. Further duties of the office will be directed at building institutional capacities, an adequate and effective administrative framework and in providing techni- cal advice and expertise to ensure that these Candidate Countries are assisted in their efforts to reduce illegal wildlife trade along their borders. Attila graduated from the University of Veterinary Science in Budapest. Prior to joining TRAFFIC, he worked for WWF Hungary where he was responsible for designing conservation projects focusing on river and forest management. The establishment of this programme office has been made possible through the financial support of the Austrian Gov- ernment, WWF Austria and TRAFFIC Europe. WWF Sweden will host a new TRAFFIC Europe national office near Stockholm. The office will be staffed by MATS FORSLUND, who has, since the late 1980s, been investigating the illegal wildlife trade in Sweden, particularly the wild bird trade, on behalf of WWF-Sweden. Mats will now spend 80% of his time for TRAFFIC examining trade concerns in Sweden and in other Nordic countries. This development is linked to a new funding arrangement affecting the TRAFFIC network as a whole. Through the hard work of WWF Sweden, TRAFFIC has been included as one of the beneficiaries of a new three-year funding package from the Swedish Government development t r a f f i c w e b s i t e s agency - SIDA. Together with a new pledge of additional direct support from WWF Sweden over the next three years, the SIDA money will support policy and programme work of TRAFFIC offices in Southeast Asia, East Asia, East/Southern Africa and Sweden to the tune of over one million Swedish Krona (USD107 000) a year. 52 TRAFFIC Bulletin Vol.