CITES ASSUMES NEW ROLE IN REGULATING TRADE IN ECONOMICALLY VALUABLE SPECIES

The Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) has assumed a new role in regulating international trade in endangered wildlife with a number of landmark decisions taken at the 12th Conference of the Parties in Santiago, Chile (3-15 November) related to economically valuable species, including mahogany and sharks. Furthermore, while many conservation groups expressed disappointment with the approval of one-off ivory sales, they hailed victory on a number of fronts, such as a rejection of Japan's proposals to down-list certain species of whales and to regulate the trade in seahorses for the first time.

Increased protection for mahogany and sharks

Parties adopted Guatemala's and Nicaragua's proposal to list big-leafed mahogany in Appendix II (limited trade under strict controls) of the Convention, thereby requiring each of the mahogany range states to ensure that all exports are sustainable and covered by CITES export permits. The listing only applies to countries where the mahogany is native (i.e. Central and South America), but not to countries that grow introduced mahogany tress, such as Indonesia or Malaysia. Many conservation groups saw this decision as a sign of growing realization among countries that CITES was not just about trade bans, but about managing resources. "Contrary to popular belief, such a listing does not mean that the species is endangered or that trade will stop, but rather that international action is being taken to reduce over-harvesting and illegal logging," said Ximena Buitron of TRAFFIC South America.

The strong focus on marine species was also widely seen as part of this shift in opinion. In particular, delegates voted to place the basking and whale sharks on CITES Appendix II -- a move which many regarded as a landmark decision as CITES has not traditionally played an important role in global fisheries. Also, while the proposal by Australia to list commercially valuable Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish was withdrawn, CITES Parties agreed to assist the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in its efforts to eliminate illegal fishing of toothfish. The Australian proposal had been strongly opposed by Chile where Patagonian toothfish is often served in restaurants. Parties furthermore adopted a voluntary resolution to improve international monitoring of harvest and trade of toothfish -- "a small, but significant step toward reducing the rampant pirate fishing that is wiping out whole populations of this species across the Southern Hemisphere," according to Ginette Hemley of WWF.

One-off sales of ivory allowed for three countries

Countries adopted proposals by Botswana, Namibia and South Africa to allow one-off sale of ivory stockpiles, collected from elephants that died of natural causes or as a result of government control of problem animals. Botswana and Namibia had withdrawn their request to institute annual sales of ivory in addition to the one-off sales. Any future one-off sales will be supervised through a rigorous control system and will not occur before May 2004 to allow for the gathering of baseline data on population and poaching levels. The CITES Standing Committees can suspend trade if they find the importing or exporting countries to be in non-compliance with their regulations. Parties, however, rejected Zimbabwe's request for a one-off sale and Zambia's proposal to down-list its elephant population from Appendix I to II.

Conservation groups were divided in the reaction to these decisions. Many expressed anger with the approval of the sales, describing it as a "death warrant" for elephants. "Poachers, smugglers, and profiteers are not interested in the fine print that outlines the conditions attached to future ivory sales, nor in the 18-months delay before any sale can take place", said Will Travers, president of the Born Free Foundation and chairman of the Species Survival network.

Other groups, however, saw the decision as an African solution to an African problem, which tried to strike a balance between conserving elephants and the growing needs of local communities. "If [these conditional sales] are successful, we may achieve a significant advance in how elephant populations are managed, an in particular, how ivory is trade in a way that limits impacts on wild pollutions," said Tom Milliken, director of TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa. However, while CITES had tried to address the issue of sustainable livelihoods in this and other decisions, the problem had not been given the attention it needed, Sabri Zain of TRAFFIC International noted. Instead, questions regarding the motivations and forces behind illegal trade and poaching often got overshadowed by Appendix listings and media coverage of 'charismatic megafauna', he added.

Whale proposal rejected

Delegates voted against a proposals by Japan to transfer most northern hemisphere populations of Minke whale and the western North Pacific population of Bryde's whale from Appendix I (no trade allowed expect in exceptional circumstances) to Appendix II. These and other whale species are currently protected under the International Whaling Commission, which established a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986. Many Parties regarded these proposals as weakening the primacy of the IWC and an attempt to bypass the IWC moratorium. At the IWC, whaling nations such as Iceland, Norway and Japan have been pushing hard for a lifting of the moratorium to allow for limited whaling activities. Both Norway and Iceland hold a reservation on the moratorium, which allows them to legally resume whaling.

COP-13 of CITES will be held at the end of 2004 or early in 2005 in Thailand.

Additional Resources

Daily coverage: IISD Linkages

"Making a killing or making a living? Wildlife trade, trade controls and rural livelihoods," TRAFFIC & IIED, March 2002.

"Elephant ivory sales approved for three nations," ENS, 12 November 2002; "Nations vote to protect minke, bryde's whales," ENS, 8 November 2002; ENB Vol. 12 No. 20-30, 3-18 November; "CITES delegates vote to shield endangered species," ENS, 15 November 2002; "CITES conference ends with strong decisions on wildlife conservation," CITES PRESS RELEASE, 15 November 2002; "CITES meeting endorses sea change," TRAFFIC PRESS RELEASE, 15 November 2002.