CITES CONSIDERS TIMBER CONSERVATION

The Plants and Animals Committees of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) met on 17-21 and 20-25 May respectively and focused on decisions made at the 13th Conference of the Parties (COP-13) to CITES in October 2004 (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 21 October 2004). In particular, participants grappled with the COP decision to add certain heavily-traded timber species to the CITES Appendices, seeking to understand the political, trade and conservation dynamics in the sector and how to best ensure the survival of the listed species.

In its first meeting since COP-13, the Plants Committee began the process of conducting a Review of Significant Trade (RST) in Appendix II species as mandated by Decision 12.8 of COP-13. Under CITES, Appendix II species are subject to strictly regulated trade on the basis of quotas and permits to ensure that trade does not compromise their survival. While the Animals Committee has been carrying out RSTs for several years, at COP-13 parties decided to call on the Plants Committee to carry out such reviews for the first time. Species subject to the review are assessed on their conservation, management and trade regulation and volume status. Should the committee find that existing measures to preserve the species are inadequate, it can make recommendations on how to enhance protection of the species in all CITES countries. Such recommendations can include urging CITES Members to implement export quotas, conduct population reviews, or other trade or environmental policies. Such a review and recommendation process was carried out in one of the best known cases by the Animals Committee in 2002 regarding sturgeon caviar (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 10 September 2004).

After examining a document from the Secretariat that presented species that could be considered under the review, a newly established RST working group proceeded to eliminate the majority of proposed species from the review. Species were removed from the scrutiny because the working group felt that effective controls were in place to preserve them, because there was not significant trade in the species or their derivatives, or because it was felt that postponing such scrutiny for the time being was an effective "carrot" to induce CITES Parties to initiate their own conservation strategies.

In particular, the meeting considered a number of new timber species that were added to Appendix II at COP-13 including agarwood trees in East Asia, a number of African species and big-leaf mahogany. Although CITES has traditionally avoided included heavily traded timber species in its annexes, recent COPs have witnessed more countries embracing the CITES approach as a viable way to achieve sustainable trade in threatened timber species (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 21 November 2002). However, discussion at the plants meeting recognised that science, enforcement, legislation, chain-of-custody controls, international trade regulation and business incentives were all integral components of sustainable trade in such species. Incorporating CITES system of certification of permitted trade was cited as spurring a "revolution" in how forests are managed nationally insofar as it makes CITES scientific expertise and familiarity with customs and certification measures available to national actors.

Participants also recognised that the dynamics of the timber trade may be different and particularly challenging. The difficulties with enforcement of trade restrictions in endangered timber species are sensitive for many countries as illegal trade is common and the timber sector often accounts for a significant portion of GDP. Nonetheless, participants recognised that the international community was becoming increasingly concerned with trade in such species. In particular, they considered the proposal to include bigleaf mahogany in the RST given concerns that enforcement of Appendix II listing of the species is being threatened by increasing logging and trade in Peru, Brazil and Bolivia. Instead of subjecting it to a direct review, however, participants decided to re-establish the Bigleaf Mahogany Working Group to prepare and adopt regional action plans, undertake inventories, initiate capacity-building programmes and report back to the next plants committee meeting. The Committee did note that it was "seriously concerned" by bigleaf mahogany trade in a letter sent to States involved in trade and that if insufficient progress was made in curtailing trade by the next Plants Committee meeting, bigleaf mahogany would be included in the RST.

A number of medicinal plants were also added to Appendix II at COP-13 and the Plants Committee began discussion on how to best enforce these listings. In addition, the meeting began a periodic review of plant species listed in the CITES appendices, with Chair Margarita Clemente stressing the need to "clean up" the current list of some 28,000 species through de-listing and up-listing. The meeting created a preliminary list of potential species for review for de-listing or up-listing, which will be examined by an intersessional working group.

In recognition of the increasing overlap between CITES and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), synergies between the two Conventions was the subject of focused attention. Based upon COP-13 decision 13.8, which establishes that the Plants Committee shall link its activities with the CBD Global Strategy for Plant Conservation especially regarding target XI (regarding conserving species of wild flora that are endangered by international trade), a new working group was established to examine the connection. The working group reported that improving communication, compiling "best practice" projects showcasing synergies and offering CITES expertise to the CBD were the best ways to achieve greater links between the two. COP-13 decision 13.10 on invasive alien species (IAS; see related article, this issue) also requests greater cooperation between CITES, CBD and the IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group. The Plants Committee asked the Secretariat to prepare a document on the possibility of CITES contributing to the CBD's IAS principles and to ask the CBD Secretariat for comments on the invasive potential of plant species included in the CITES appendices.

Additional Resources

For a summary report of the meetings, see IISD Linkages at http://www.iisd.ca/cites/ac21pc15/.

ICTSD Reporting; ENB, Vol. 21 No. 46, 23 May 2005.