ACS Conservation Committee Report

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2002 CITES MEETING IS A BIG WIN FOR WILDLIFE!

The Delegates to the 12th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) showed a strong commitment to the protection of a wide variety of critically endangered flora and fauna, including whales and dolphins. This meeting will go down in history as one of the most successful for wildlife conservation.

CITES Parties stood strong against the repeated attempts by Japan to reopen the commercial trade in minke whales and Bryde's whales. "CITES has spoken on the issue without equivocation: no commercial whaling, no commercial trade in whales," said Adam Roberts, Senior Research Associate of the Animal Welfare Institute. "The International Whaling Commission is the competent body to address commercial whaling and CITES Parties are absolutely right to stand firm against Japan's endless machinations to massacre whales for profit."

For the first time as well, CITES has recognized the importance of protecting bottlenose dolphins, traded for the captive display industry. Black Sea bottlenose dolphins can no longer be traded for primarily commercial purposes. This is the first trade ban for a dolphin population targeted for captivity, which is a very significant development.

Commercial fish species also received vital protection from the CITES Parties. Export permits will now be required for any international trade in whale sharks and basking sharks. The unregulated trade in shark meat, oil, and fins could doom the species without action by CITES Parties. CITES first considered a role in shark conservation and sustainable management in 1994. This role has finally been formalized for two of the most threatened species of shark and the world's two largest fish.

Seahorses, traded in the tens of millions annually for the curio, medicine, and aquaria trade, also now benefit from CITES protection. This proposal, introduced by the United States, greatly strengthens the global effort to prevent the long-term devastation of this species. In some regions, commercial catches of seahorses have declined by 95%, indicating that the species may soon become commercially extinct. Biological extinction in these areas could follow.

Other positive news was that before this CITES meeting even began Cuba had wisely withdrawn its proposal to start trading in the highly endangered hawksbill sea turtle. Green turtles also maintained their full CITES protection when the delegates refused to allow trade from a highly controversial green turtle farm in the Cayman Islands.

Some terrestrial charismatic mega fauna also benefited from this meeting of CITES. CITES Parties reaffirmed their commitment to protecting all eight remaining bear species across the globe. Until Parties prove that they have demonstrably reduced this illegal trade, they must continue to pay vigilant attention to this global conservation issue.

"The decision by CITES to maintain and strengthen conservation of and trade in bears is greatly welcomed," said Philip Wilson, Libearty Project officer for the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). "Increasing evidence suggests that China is dramatically increasing its bear bile industry and shows no real intention of closing down its farms. The aggressive international marketing of bear bile for use in Traditional Asian Medicine and other products is an increasing threat to bears in the wild and those incarcerated on the bear farms in China."

Big cats across their Asian range also were included in the CITES deliberations. A new resolution was passed to broaden attention beyond tigers alone. Debbie Banks, Senior Campaigner of the Environmental Investigation Agency congratulated India on its successful efforts to ensure that Asian Snow and Clouded leopards receive as much international attention and support as tigers. "The forgotten cats were at last given their turn on the CITES stage."

And in the most dominant debate at the meeting, Zimbabwe and Zambia lost their attempt to resume the international commercial elephant ivory trade. However, a decision was made to potentially allow sale of stockpiled ivory from Botswana, Namibia and South Africa some time in late 2004. This decision will be closely watched to ensure the protection of Africa and Asia's elephants.

In an unprecedented move, CITES has approved protection for a commercially traded timber species, bigleaf mahogany. This decision is a critical step in ending rampant and illegal logging, and making global mahogany markets truly sustainable. Exporting countries must now change their forest management practices and importers, particularly the U.S. and the EU, must provide the financial and technical assistance to make those changes possible.

"In the final analysis," concluded Will Travers, President of Species Survival Network and CEO of the Born Free Foundation, "this meeting of the Conference of the Parties showed that CITES has a soul and a conscience, that decisions will be taken on the basis of sound science, but also with due attention to the ethical considerations of right and wrong. History will judge the Santiago meeting well, I believe."

Source: Species Survival Network 15th November 2002