VKM Report 2019: 11 Assessment of species listing proposals for CITES CoP18 Scientific opinion of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment Utkast_dato Scientific opinion of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) 15.03.2019 ISBN: 978-82-8259-327-4 ISSN: 2535-4019 Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) Po 4404 Nydalen N – 0403 Oslo Norway Phone: +47 21 62 28 00 Email: [email protected] vkm.no vkm.no/english Cover photo: Public domain Suggested citation: VKM, Eli. K Rueness, Maria G. Asmyhr, Hugo de Boer, Katrine Eldegard, Anders Endrestøl, Claudia Junge, Paolo Momigliano, Inger E. Måren, Martin Whiting (2019) Assessment of Species listing proposals for CITES CoP18. Opinion of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment, ISBN:978-82-8259-327-4, Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM), Oslo, Norway. VKM Report 2019: 11 Utkast_dato Assessment of species listing proposals for CITES CoP18 Note that this report was finalised and submitted to the Norwegian Environment Agency on March 15, 2019. Any new data or information published after this date has not been included in the species assessments. Authors of the opinion VKM has appointed a project group consisting of four members of the VKM Panel on Alien Organisms and Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), five external experts, and one project leader from the VKM secretariat to answer the request from the Norwegian Environment Agengy. Members of the project group that contributed to the drafting of the opinion (in alphabetical order after chair of the project group): Eli K. Rueness – Chair of the project group and member of the Panel on Alien Organisms and Trade in Endangered Species. Affiliation: 1) VKM; 2) University of Oslo Maria G. Asmyhr – Member of the project group and project leader in the VKM secretariat. Affiliation: VKM Hugo de Boer – Member of the project group and member of the Panel on Alien Organisms and Trade in Endangered Species. Affiliation: 1) VKM; 2) Natural History Museum Katrine Eldegard – Member of the project group and member of the Panel on Alien Organisms and Trade in Endangered Species. Affiliation: 1) VKM; 2) Norwegian University of Life Sciences Anders Endrestøl – Member of the project group. Affiliation: Norwegian Institue for Nature Research Claudia Junge – Member of the project group. Affiliation: Institute of Marine Research Paolo Momigliano – Member of the project group. Affiliation: University of Helsinki Inger E. Måren – Member of the project group and member of the Panel on Alien Organisms and Trade in Endangered Species. Affiliation: 1) VKM; 2) University of Bergen Martin Whiting – Member of the project group. Affiliation: Macquarie University Competence of VKM experts Persons working for VKM, either as appointed members of the Committee or as external experts, do this by virtue of their scientific expertise, not as representatives for their employers or third party interests. The Civil Services Act instructions on legal competence apply for all work prepared by VKM. VKM Report 2019: 11 Utkast_dato Table of Contents Summary ................................................................................................................ 5 Sammendrag på norsk ........................................................................................... 6 Abbreviations and/or glossary ............................................................................... 7 Background as provided by the Norwegian Environment Agency .......................... 9 Terms of reference as provided by the Norwegian Environment Agency ............. 10 1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 11 2 Literature/sources of information ................................................................ 13 2.1 The proposals to amend the appendices ................................................................ 13 2.2 Literature review .................................................................................................. 13 2.3 Relevant databases/websites for trade data ........................................................... 13 3 Species assessments .................................................................................... 15 3.1 Assessment of CoP18 proposals ............................................................................ 19 4 Uncertainties .............................................................................................. 150 5 Data gaps ................................................................................................... 151 6 References ................................................................................................. 152 VKM Report 2019: 11 Utkast_dato Summary Key words: CITES, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora, CoP18, Non-Detriment Findings, VKM; Norwegian Scientific Committee for food and environment, Norwegian Environment Agency. Introduction: International trade in endangered species is regulated through the CITES Convention (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). The aim of the Convention is to prevent trade across borders leading to over- exploitation of species. Currently 183 countries (Parties) are bound by the Convention and more than 35,000 species are protected at various levels by CITES (Appendices I, II, III). CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP) happens triennially. Prior to these meetings, the Parties may propose amendment to CITES Appendices I and II. Such amendment could be to include new species, transfer a species from one Appendix to the other, or the removal of species from the Appendices. The proposals to amend the Appendices include a status summary for the species/group of species in question. Prior to the CoP, each Party will then assess the porposals before voting at the meeting. A 2/3 majority is required to change a species listing. The Norwegian Environment Agency assigned VKM to review the list of proposals for amendments to Appendix I and II submitted ahead of the eighteenth meeting of the CoP (CoP18), which will be held in Geneva, 17-28 August 2019. Method: VKM has put forward a project group comprising participants from the panel on Alien organisms and trade in endangered species (CITES), VKM’s secretariat, and relevant external experts. The project group has reviewed the information given in each proposal and searched for additional data to assess the impact of legal and illegal trade. Results and discussion: VKM has assessed proposals for the following groups: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, terrestial invertebrates, elasmobranchs, echinoderms and plants. For each proposal, summary information and assessment of the possible impact of trade is presented in a species fact-sheet. Conclusions The species fact sheets constitute the scientific basis for a national public hearing of the listing proposals prior to the CoP18. VKM Report 2019: 11 5 Utkast_dato Sammendrag på norsk Innledning: CITES konvensjonen er en internasjonal avtale som overvåker og regulerer handel med ville arter av dyr og planter for å forhindre at deres overlevelse trues. Konvensjonen trådte i kraft i 1975 og inkluderer per 2019, 183 medlemslad (parter) som har ratifisert avtalen og dermed reglene som er vedtatt gjennom CITES. CITES har partsmøter (Conference of the Parties- CoP) hvert tredje år, og i forkant av disse møtene kan medlemslandene fremme forslag om endringer til to av CITES’ lister over arter som reguleres (Appendix I og II). Dette kan innebære å inkludere nye arter til listene, å flytte arter mellom listene eller å fjerne arter fra Appendix II. Slike forslag omfatter en statusrapport for den aktuelle arten. Partene vurderer kunnskapsgrunnlaget i søknadene før møtet der det stemmes over forslagene. Det kreves 2/3 flertall for å gjennomføre en listeendring. I forbindelse med partsmøtet som skal holdes i Genève i perioden 17-28 august, 2019, har Miljødirektoratet gitt VKM i oppdrag å vurdere kunnskapsgrunnlaget for de listeforslagene som skal behandles på møtet. Metode: VKM har utnevnt en prosjektgruppe bestående av medlemmer fra faggruppen for fremmede organismer og handel med truede arter (CITES), VKMs sekretariat samt eksterne eksperter på de artsgruppene som skal vurderes. VKM har gjennomgått tilgjengelig informasjon om de aktuelle artenes biologi, populasjonsstruktur, størrelse og -trender, utbredelsesstatus, bevaringsbehov, bevaringstiltak og handels status (lovlig og ulovlig), og har på grunnlag av denne informasjonen vurdert hvorvidt handel kan påvirke artenes overlevelse. Resultat og diskusjon: VKM har vurdert 57 listeforslag for de følgende taksonomiske gruppene: pattedyr, fugler, reptiler, amfibier, terrestriske invertebrater, haier og skater, pigghuder og planter. Bakgrunnsinformasjon og evaluering av den mulige effekten av handel er oppsummert i et artsevalueringsark (species fact sheet) per CoP-søknad. Konklusjon: Vurderingene fra VKM danner det vitenskapelige grunnlaget for en nasjonal høring i forkant av CoP18. VKM Report 2019: 11 6 Utkast_dato Abbreviations and/or glossary Abbreviations CITES: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. CoP: Conference of the Parties. IUCN: International Union for the Conservation of Nature. NDF: Non-detriment finding. NGO: Non-governmental organization. TRAFFIC: the wildlife trade monitoring network. UNEP: United Nations Environment