Review of species selected at SRG 45 following working group recommendations on reptiles and one scorpion from Benin, Ghana and Togo (Version edited for public release) A report to the European Commission Directorate General E - Environment ENV.E.2. – Environmental Agreements and Trade by the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre November, 2008 UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre 219 Huntingdon Road Cambridge CB3 0DL CITATION United Kingdom UNEP-WCMC (2008). Review of species selected at SRG 45 following working group recommendations on reptiles Tel: +44 (0) 1223 277314 and one scorpion from Benin, Ghana and Togo. A Report Fax: +44 (0) 1223 277136 to the European Commission. UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge. Email: [email protected] Website: www.unep-wcmc.org PREPARED FOR ABOUT UNEP-WORLD CONSERVATION The European Commission, Brussels, Belgium MONITORING CENTRE The UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre DISCLAIMER (UNEP-WCMC), based in Cambridge, UK, is the The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect specialist biodiversity information and assessment the views or policies of UNEP or contributory centre of the United Nations Environment organisations. The designations employed and the Programme (UNEP), run cooperatively with WCMC presentations do not imply the expressions of any 2000, a UK charity. 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Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 2 SPECIES: Chamaeleo senegalensis ....................................................................................................... 3 SPECIES: Varanus exanthematicus ..................................................................................................... 9 SPECIES: Calabaria reinhardtii.......................................................................................................... 14 SPECIES: Python sebae ...................................................................................................................... 18 1 Introduction At SRG 43, the SRG established an inter-sessional working group to consider EU imports of 16 CITES-listed reptile and scorpion species, in particular to review current and historical SRG decisions and opinions, and to examine trade data for these species. The working group, led by Spain, also included Belgium, the United Kingdom and UNEP-WCMC. At the request of the working group, UNEP-WCMC produced a document compiling information and trade data for the 15 reptile species and scorpion Pandinus imperator from Benin, Ghana and Togo (SRG 45). For those species which had not previously been subject to detailed review by UNEP-WCMC and for which little or no status information was available and trade to the EU had been reported, the working group recommended that an in-depth review be undertaken by UNEP-WCMC. This recommendation of the working group was accepted by the SRG. This document compiles in-depth reviews for the four reptile species selected by the working group: Varanus exanthematicus, Calabaria reinhardtii and Python sebae from Ghana (W and R), and Chamaeleo senegalensis from Benin (R) and Ghana (W). For the purposes of this report, the 27 countries that are currently members of the European Union have been considered as part of the EU (EU-27). This may include countries that have not been EU Member States for the duration of the period under consideration in the trade tables of this report. 2 REVIEW OF WEST AFRICAN REPTILE SPECIES SELECTED AT SRG 45. REPTILIA: CHAMAELEONIDAE SPECIES: Chamaeleo senegalensis SYNONYMS: Chamaeleon subcroceus COMMON NAMES: Senegal-Kameleon (Dutch), Senegal Chameleon (English), Caméléon du Sénégal (French), Camaleón del Senegal (Spanish), senegalkameleont (Swedish) RANGE STATES: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo RANGE STATES UNDER REVIEW: Benin, Ghana IUCN RED LIST: - PREVIOUS EC OPINIONS: A positive opinion for all countries was formed on 22/07/1997. A positive opinion for Ghana was formed on 15/09/2008. There is a current negative opinion for wild specimens from Togo (formed 15/09/2008) and ranched specimens with a snout-vent length greater than 6 cm (formed 15/09/2008). A positive opinion exists for ranched specimens from Togo with a maximum snout-vent length of 6 cm. TRADE PATTERNS: Chamaeleo senegalensis from Benin was selected for this review on the basis of high levels of trade in ranched specimens to the EU, and no previous species review had been undertaken for the country. Tables 1-4 summarise CITES trade data for this species/country combination. Live animals for the pet industry are Benin‟s primary export commodity for this species and the main EU importing State is Spain with France, Netherlands and Germany also importing significant quantities. In the rest of the world, the United States is the main importer but considerable numbers also go to Ghana for re-export. Export quotas for ranched live animals have been published for this species from Benin since 1997 and were possibly exceeded in 1999 according to data presented by Benin (Table 4). However data reported by importing countries suggest that export permits are issued for more specimens than are actually traded. 3 Ghana was selected for review on the basis high levels of trade in wild specimens to the EU, and no previous species review had been undertaken for the country. Tables 5-7 summarise CITES trade data for this species/country combination. Live animals for the pet industry are Ghana‟s primary export commodity for this species and the main EU importing States are Spain and Germany, with the United Kingdom and Netherlands also importing significant quantities. In the rest of the world, the United States is the main importer with smaller quantities going to Japan and Canada. Export quotas for wild live animals have been published for this species from Ghana since 1997 but not for the years 2005 to 2007. The quota for 1997 was possibly exceeded according to data presented by Ghana (Table 7), and in 2002 according to importer data. However data reported by importing countries suggest that export permits were issued for more specimens than are actually traded in that year. Table 1. Direct exports of Chamaeleo senegalensis from Benin to EU-27, 2001-2006. Importer Term Purpose Source Reported by 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Total Austria live T R Importer 30 30 Exporter 50 50 Denmark live T R Importer 62 20 82 Exporter 30 30 France live T R Importer 50 280 330 Exporter 150 400 550 Germany bodies S W Importer 4 4 Exporter live T R Importer 30 92 30 152 Exporter 100 80 100 280 Italy live T R Importer 20 20 Exporter Netherlands live T R Importer 50 175 105 330 Exporter 155 188 343 Slovenia live T R Importer Exporter 30 30 Spain live T R Importer 298 830 300 261 982 250 2921 Exporter 290 1150 940 150 2530 United Kingdom live T R Importer 65 65 Exporter - I Importer 209 209 Exporter bodies S W Importer 4 4 Exporter live T R Importer 398 890 567 571 1064 440 3930 Subtotals Exporter 725 1868 1040 180 3813 - I Importer 209 209 bodies S W Exporter 4 Table 2. Indirect exports of Chamaeleo senegalensis originating in Benin to EU-27, 2001-2006. All trade was for commercial purposes. Exporter Importer Term Source Reported by 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Total Ghana Germany live R Importer 85 85 Exporter 35 35 Greece live R Importer 50 50 Exporter Italy live R Importer Exporter 100 100 Netherlands live R Importer 25 25 Exporter 65 65 Poland live R Importer 50 50 Exporter Spain live R Importer 92 38 39 30 199 Exporter 40 30 70 W Importer Exporter 40 40 Niger Netherlands live R Importer 50 50 Exporter Togo Spain live R Importer 100 100 Exporter 600 600 live R Importer 92 188 249 30 559 Exporter 100 600 140 30 870 Subtotals W Importer Exporter 40 40 Table 3. Direct exports of Chamaeleo senegalensis from Benin to countries other than EU-27, 2001-2006. All trade was in live specimens for commercial purposes. Importer Purpose Source Reported by 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Total Ghana T R Importer 600 2900 4588 8088 Exporter 600 4550 2000 100 7250 Japan T R Importer 10 50 100 160 Exporter 50 10 60 Mexico T R Importer 105 105 Exporter 105 105 United States T C Importer 100 100 Exporter R Importer 1185 703 1480 1289 1530 6187 Exporter 7529 2850 1300 1950 13629 W Importer 1422 2793 200 200 4615 Exporter Subtotals T C Importer 100 100 5 Exporter R Importer 1890 3603 4598