UNEP-WCMC technical report Review of species selected on the basis of the Analysis of 2014 CITES export quotas Part I (Version edited for public release) 2 Review of species selected on the basis of the Analysis of 2014 export quotas. Prepared for The European Commission, Directorate General Environment, Directorate E - Global & Regional Challenges, LIFE ENV.E.2. – Global Sustainability, Trade & Multilateral Agreements , Brussels, Belgium Published August 201 4 Copyright European Commission 2014 Citation UNEP-WCMC. 2014. Review of species selected on the basis of the Analysis of 2014 export quotas . UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge. The UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) is the specialist biodiversity assessment centre of the United Nations Environment Programme, the world’s foremost intergovernmental environmental organization. The Cent re has been in operation for over 30 years, combining scientific research with policy advice and the development of decision tools. 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Contents Introduction and summary ................................................................................................................... 4 Brookesia spp.: Overview of status, management and trade ............................................................. 6 Brookesia betschi .................................................................................................................................... 8 Brookesia ebenaui .................................................................................................................................. 10 Brookesia griveaudi ............................................................................................................................... 12 Brookesia minima .................................................................................................................................. 14 Brookesia nasus ..................................................................................................................................... 16 Brookesia peyrierasi .............................................................................................................................. 18 Brookesia therezieni ............................................................................................................................. 20 References ............................................................................................................................................. 22 Calumma parsonii ................................................................................................................................ 26 Ravenea rivularis .................................................................................................................................. 30 Appendix ............................................................................................................................................... 34 Brookesia overview Introduction and summary 4 This report presents a review of nine species selected on the basis of the quota analysis and provides an update of new and increased 2014 CITES export quotas published since the production of the Analysis of 2014 CITES export quotas (UNEP-WCMC, 2014). National export quotas for CITES listed taxa are an important tool to manage and monitor wildlife trade. The establishment or revision of an export quota should be based on a non-detriment finding (NDF) by the Scientific Authority of the exporting country and the NDF should be reviewed annually (Resolution Conf. 14.7 (Rev. CoP15)). Once such annual quotas are established, the need for a NDF for each individual shipment of the species concerned is eliminated. The EU, through stricter measures outlined in the Wildlife Trade Regulations, requires an NDF by importing Member States and therefore monitors newly established quotas and changes to previous quota levels to assess the situation where necessary, or to reassess SRG opinions or EU decisions. Similarly, by assessing the new quotas early each year, the SRG can advise on the treatment of anticipated import applications within the EU. Export quotas are usually established by each Party to CITES unilaterally on a voluntary basis, but they can also be set by the Conference of the Parties, or result from recommendations of the Animals and Plants Committees. To ensure that national quotas are effectively communicated and implemented on permits and certificates, countries should inform the CITES Secretariat when they establish national export quotas for CITES species (Resolution Conf. 12.3 (Rev. CoP16)). In turn, the Secretariat informs the Parties by publishing a list of national export quotas of which it has been informed ( www.cites.org/eng/resources/quotas/index.php ). Quotas generally relate to a calendar year (1 st of January to 31 st of December); however, since 2008 sturgeon quotas have related to a ‘quota year’ (1 st March to last day of February). For species of Acipenseriformes, quotas should be established and communicated to the CITES Secretariat for meat and caviar from stocks shared between different Range States (Resolution Conf. 12.7 (Rev. CoP16)). Guidance on the ‘ Management of nationally established export quotas’ is available through Resolution Conf. 14.7 (Rev. CoP15). In 2014, quotas were published on the CITES website ( www.cites.org ) on 14/03/2014 and were updated on 26/03/2014, 14/04/2014 and 20/06/2014. Based on the quotas that were available on 28/04/2014, UNEP-WCMC analysed the 2014 CITES export quotas to identify: a) Quotas that were newly established in 2014 (i.e. 2014 quotas for particular species/country/term/source combinations which have not previously been subject to a quota, or have not been subject to a quota for at least the last 5 years); b) Quotas that increased or decreased in 2014 compared with 2013 quotas (or compared with 2012 quotas if no quota was published in 2013). This analysis was discussed at SRG 68 on 28/05/2014 and a list of 18 taxa/country combinations that may warrant review was presented; in addition Member States were invited to suggest any additional species with new or increased quotas that may warrant review. The following species are reviewed in this report: Brookesia overview • Brookesia betschi/ Madagascar (new quota, 300 live) • Brookesia ebenaui/Madagascar (new quota, 150 live) 5 • Brookesia grivaudi/Madagascar (new quota, 150 live) • Brookesia minima/ Madagascar (new quota, 150 live) • Brookesia nasus/Madagascar (new quota, 150 live) • Brookesia peyrierasi/ Madagascar (new quota, 150 live) • Brookesia therezieni/Madagascar (increased quota, 500 live) • Calumma parsonii/Madagascar (increased quota, 300 live) • Ravenea rivularis/Madagascar (increased quota, 4500 kg seeds) The SRG agreed that further consideration might be necessary to determine whether the trade would have a harmful effect on the conservation status of these species or on the extent of the territory occupied by the relevant population of these species. These reviews are presented below. Additional species/country combinations are planned for review for SRG 70. Update since Analysis of 2014 CITES export quotas Since the publication of the Analysis of 2014 CITES export quotas (UNEP-WCMC, 2014) additional CITES export quotas were published from Botswana, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Georgia, Honduras, Indonesia, Jamaica, Mozambique, Paraguay and Romania on 20 th June 2014. Of these, the following relate to new or increased quotas of note: An increase in quotas for various wild-taken species from Indonesia, namely: 11 250 skins and skin products of Python breitensteini (increased from 10 800 skins and skin products in 2013); 2700 skins and skin products of Python curtus (increased from 1890 skins and skin products in 2013); and 28 500 live, wild-taken pieces (not identifiable to species level) of Fungia spp. (increased from 24 500 live, wild-taken pieces in 2013). In addition, there was an increase in the quota for Panthera leo from Mozambique, from 50 wild-taken