PC18 Doc. 16.1.2 CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA ____________ Eighteenth meeting of the Plants Committee Buenos Aires (Argentina), 17-21 March 2009 Proposals for possible consideration at CoP15 Proposals to amend the Appendices REVIEW OF SUCCULENT EUPHORBIA SPP. IN APPENDIX II 1. This document has been submitted by Switzerland as chair of the intersessional working group co-ordinating and monitoring the Periodic Review (PC17 WG5)*. Background 2. The listing of “Euphorbia spp.” in Appendix II came into effect on 1 July 1975. It is annotated with #1 [Designates all parts and derivatives, except: a) seeds, spores and pollen (including pollinia); b) seedling or tissue cultures obtained in vitro, in solid or liquid media, transported in sterile containers; and c) cut flowers of artificially propagated plants]. Non-succulent species of Euphorbia were excluded from CITES provisions effective 18 September 1997. However, there were concerns about inconsistent interpretation and implementation problems among Parties because there was no clear definition of the term ‘succulent.’ Therefore, the CITES Checklist of Succulent Euphorbia Taxa (Carter & Eggli, 1997) was established as a reference. As many new succulent Euphorbia species had been described in a variety of botanical journals, it was decided at the 12th meeting of the Plants Committee, to update this Checklist. The 2nd edition (Carter & Eggli, 2003) was adopted as a reference (CoP13 Bangkok, 2004). The Checklist now contains ca. 900 names of accepted taxa of succulent Euphorbia, including species and subspecific taxa. A number of cultivars have been excluded from CITES: E. trigona Miller (18/09/97), E. lactea Haworth with certain characteristics (12/01/2005) and E. ‘Milii’ when traded in quantities of 100 or more specimens (12/01/2005). These exclusions reflect efforts to remove species that are not of conservation concern and are internationally traded in large quantities as artificially propagated specimens. 3. Taylor (2001) analyzed international trade in succulent Euphorbia species, with emphasis on artificially propagated live specimens; key taxa and countries were identified. According to CITES trade data, 328 species are recorded in international trade. The report concludes with a number of recommendations, including maintaining all Euphorbia taxa native to Madagascar in the Appendices, and down-listing or removal of 249 Euphorbia species (Taylor 2001). 4. Since its 15th meeting (Geneva, 2005), the Plants Committee has sought ways to reduce the number of succulent Euphorbia species listed in Appendix II. * 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. PC18 Doc. 16.1.2 – p. 1 5. Switzerland submitted a proposal to the 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (The Hague, 2007) to amend the listing of Euphorbia species in Appendix II in order to exclude certain species (CoP14 Prop. 29, http://www.cites.org/eng/cop/14/prop/E14-P29.pdf). After discussion at the CoP, the proposal was withdrawn. However, Decision 14.131 was adopted, which directed the Plants Committee to: a) analyse trade data and conservation status of succulent Euphorbia species (except those species currently included in Appendix I); b) prepare a revised list of succulent Euphorbia species that meet the criteria of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP14) for inclusion in Appendix II; c) prepare proposals for consideration at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties that provide for the deletion of Euphorbia species from Appendix II that do not meet the criteria of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP14), are frequently traded and can be clearly identified by non-specialists; and d) determine the need for identification material for species retained in Appendix II. 6. Based on document PC17 Doc. 14, the Plants Committee, at its 17th meeting (Geneva, 2008) included the above mandate (paragraph 5) with the working group on the Periodic Review of the Appendices (PC17 WG5). Based on the WG's report, the Plants Committee established an intersessional working group with the following mandate (PC17 Summary record page 25-26: a) Analyse the trade data provided in document PC17 Doc. 14 (Annex); b) Identify species for possible exclusion from Appendix II, based on this and all other available, relevant information; and c) Prepare a list of candidate species for possible delisting for consideration at PC18 and submit a report containing this list and all other available, relevant information. In addition, the Committee agreed that the intersessional WG should: Prepare a proposal for submission to CoP15 to annotate the current listing of the genus Euphorbia in the Appendices to the effect that the genera Chamaesyce, Cubanthus, Elaeophorbia, Endadenium, Monadenium, Synadenium and Pedilanthus are excluded from the listing and present this for discussion at PC18. 7. The WG recommended that following PC17, the Secretariat publish a Notification to Parties as soon as possible, asking Range States of succulent Euphorbia species to indicate, as far as possible, species that are actually or potentially negatively impacted by wild-harvest for international trade (Notification No. 2008/042). Parties were requested to report their findings by the 30 September 2008, [six months before the 18th meeting of the Plants Committee (PC18)]. An evaluation of responses is contained in Annex 3 of this document. Decisions to be taken and schedule 8. According to the WG’s mandate, a draft Annotation for the listing of the genus Euphorbia in Appendix II is included in Annex 1. This draft Annotation applies to the current listing and would possibly not apply to an amended listing. The Plants Committee will decide on a finished version of the Annotation, which is in line with an amended listing of succulent Euphorbia species, and prepare a proposal for submission to CoP15. 9. The WG developed two lists (Annex 2): List A which includes species proposed for removal from Appendix II because they are frequently traded as artificially propagated specimens. Alternatively, List B includes species proposed for retention in Appendix II because they meet the listing criteria of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP14). The Plants Committee will review these two lists and decide how to proceed with its mandate to submit a proposal for an amended listing of Euphorbia species in Appendix II to CoP15. Comments 10. This document is submitted to the Plants Committee for discussion and further input by range States. In particular, range States that may have concerns about species that are included in List A for exemption or not included in List B for retention, and which may be exempted from CITES as a result of this process. 11. The Chair of the Working Group wishes to thank the Authorities of China, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mexico and the United States of America for their responses and reports, and to all people involved, for their PC18 Doc. 16.1.2 – p. 2 contributions. Special thanks go to Patricia Ford of the Scientific Authority of the United States of America for significantly contributing to this document. 12. None of the Euphorbia species included in this review are included in the current Review of Significant Trade in specimens of Appendix-II species following CoP14 (PC17 Doc. 8.5). References (including for Annexes 1 and 2) Bruyns, P. V., R. J. Mapaya and T. J. Hedderson (2006): A new subgeneric classification for Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae) in southern Africa based on ITS and psbA-trnH sequence data. Taxon 55(2): 397–420. Carter, S. and U. Eggli (1997): The CITES Checklist of Succulent Euphorbia Taxa (Euphorbiaceae). Bundesamt für Naturschutz. Bonn, Germany. Carter, S. and U. Eggli (2003): The CITES Checklist of Succulent Euphorbia Taxa (Euphorbiaceae). Second Edition. Bundesamt für Naturschutz. Bonn, Germany. Taylor, K. (2001): Review of Trade in Artificially Propagated Plants. Royal Botanic Gardens. Kew, England. PC18 Doc. 16.1.2 – p. 3 PC18 Doc. 16.1.2 Annex 1 DRAFT ANNOTATION 1. At PC17, Working Group 5 (PC17 WG5 (Rev. 1) – p. 2) reported that the genus Euphorbia was substantially amplified to include species that are currently included in the genus Chamaesyce (never generally accepted) as well as the smaller, well established genera Cubanthus, Elaeophorbia, Endadenium, Monadenium, Synadenium and Pedilanthus. This is the result of recent molecular research (Bruyns et al., 2006). Euphorbia, in this new, amplified sense, is very large, very widely distributed and diverse genus that is equal to the entire subtribe Euphorbiinae of the family Euphorbiaceae. As a result of the new classification, a considerable number of additional succulent species may thus fall unintentionally under CITES provisions. The WG therefore, recommended to investigate whether any of the subgeneric units of the genus Euphorbia in the new, amplified sense correspond to the former listing and, if possible, reduce the listing of succulent Euphorbia species in Appendix II to the subgeneric taxon or those subgeneric taxa. 2. The objective is to prevent widening the scope of this listing to include additional succulent species that were not commonly included in the genus Euphorbia at the time the genus was listed in Appendix II, and which are now implicitly and unintentionally (i.e. regardless of criteria Resolution Conf. 9.24) included in Appendix II because of new classification of the genus. Time will show, whether the new classification of the genus is widely accepted by botanical community. However, potential enforcement problems can be avoided by maintaining the scope of the listing. 3. Chamaesyce species (if recognized at genus level) are non-succulent herbs, and Cubanthus species are soft-wooded shrubs or small trees.