Guangzhou (China) /
Geneva, 18 April 2011- Better scientific
information and closer supervision of captive
breeding facilities are crucial for addressing
the conservation, sustainability and livelihood
aspects of the Asian snake trade.
Those were among the
key messages relayed by some 70 experts
representing close to 20 governments and
international organizations at a workshop
in Guangzhou, China, last week.
The event was led by
the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) - an international agreement which
aims to ensure that trade in wild animals
and plants does not threaten their survival.
The workshop followed
celebrations held in Beijing last week to
mark the 30th anniversary of China joining
CITES.
The global trade in
snakes involves a variety of species, which
are taken from the wild and then bred in
captivity. The unsustainable trade of some
of these species, as well as the loss of
snake habitats, have contributed to a significant
decrease in certain populations.
The workshop brought
together government experts, members of
the CITES Animals Committee and organizations
including the International Union for Conservation
of Nature (IUCN), the UN Conference on Trade
and Development (UNCTAD), the China Wildlife
Conservation Association and China Association
of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Participants
focused primarily on the markets and commercial
trade of snakes in East, South, and Southeast
Asia.
"I welcome the
results of the CITES Asian snake trade workshop
which are a very positive step for the conservation
and sustainable use of these species",
said Carlos Ibero, interim chair of the
CITES Animals Committee. "I look forward
to detailed discussion of the workshop recommendations
at the 25th meeting of the CITES animals
committee to be held in Geneva in July",
he added.
One third of the 3,315
snake species recognised globally can be
found in the regions covered by the workshop.
Indonesia is home to 128 endemic snake species,
followed by India with 112, China with 54,
Papua New Guinea with 42, Sri Lanka with
41, and the Philippines with 32 species.
CITES regulates trade in 130 snake species,
45 of which are found in range states in
the Asian countries that attended the workshop.
"The global trade
in snakes is an industry of considerable
socio-economic importance for rural populations
in several Asian countries", said Mr
John Scanlon, Secretary-General of CITES.
"CITES is the main international tool
to regulate effectively international snake
trade in many of these species. The recommendations
coming out of this meeting will be critical
in addressing the wildlife conservation,
sustainable use and livelihood aspects of
such trade, and putting forward expert recommendations
to CITES governing bodies for future directions."
"The harvesting
of snakes, and in some cases the initial
processing of their skins and other body
parts, contributes important revenue to
local communities in China and neighbouring
countries," said Dr Su Chunyu, Executive
Director General of the CITES Management
Authority of China. "The Chinese Government
pays great attention to achieving a harmonious
balance between conservation and sustainable
use of Asian snakes", he added.
According to a wildlife
trade policy review conducted in Viet Nam,
the income from snake breeding is three
to five times higher than the income generated
by vegetable and crop cultivation, and several
dozen times higher than the income from
pig and cattle breeding.
Snakes play a vital
role within their ecosystems. For example,
if snakes were to disappear from the rice
fields or other crop-producing landscapes
of Asia, their prey, left behind with no
predator to control their numbers, could
have devastating effects on agricultural
production, food security and national economies.
Snakes from the forests
and jungles of Asia are consumed locally
as well as in neighbouring countries for
food and traditional medicines. They are
also sold as pets and their skins can be
found in expensive luxury leather goods
and accessories. These skins are often processed
in various countries of re-export along
the way.
Some examples of Asian
snakes in trade (scientific name, common
name, major exporters) from the CITES trade
database include:
Typical snakes
Ptyas mucosus (Oriental rat snake) - Indonesia
(100% of global exports in this species)
Cerberus rhynchops (Dog-faced water snake)
- Indonesia (89%), Thailand (11%)
Pythons
Python breitensteini (Borneo short-tailed
python) Indonesia (70%), Malaysia (30%)
Python brongersmai (Blood python) Malaysia
(54%), Indonesia (46%)
Python curtus (Sumatran short-tailed python)
Malaysia (71%), Indonesia (39%)
Python molurus bivittatus (Burmese python)Vietnam
(99%)
Python reticulatus (Reticulated python)Malaysia
(47%), Indonesia (42%), Vietnam (11%)
Cobras
Naja sputatrix (Indonesian cobra) Indonesia
(100%)
Notes to Editors
CITES was adopted in
March, 1973, in Washington D.C., following
a recommendation of the 1972 United Nations
Conference on the Human Environment. It
was the first Multilateral Environmental
Agreement to enter into force in July 1975
and it assists China and another 174 countries
that are Party to CITES to achieve sustainable
development through the conservation and
sustainable use of biodiversity.
+ More
Governments agree on
members for new Green Climate Fund
Bonn, 15 April 2011
- Parties to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have
agreed the selection of the forty members
who will be entrusted with the task of designing
the Green Climate Fund, the new institution
which will manage long-term finance mobilized
to enable developing countries to address
climate change.
The selection of this
Transitional Committee, which will prepare
operational specifications for the fund
in time for approval by the next UN Climate
Conference in Durban, in December, was one
of the first scheduled tasks for 2011 under
the international Cancun Agreements.
The high level of interest
among governments in contributing to the
design process is a demonstration of the
great interest among Parties in the Green
Climate Fund. Parties have put forward experienced
and respected individuals from the fields
of finance and climate change, UNFCCC Executive
Secretary Christiana Figueres said on Friday.
The transparent, predictable
and adequate provision of finance in the
long-term is essential to ensure that the
poor and vulnerable can build themselves
a sustainable future in the face of climate
change, she said.
The Transitional Committee
will have its first meeting in Mexico City
on April 28 and 29. The meeting will be
open to observers and the proceedings will
be web cast on the UNFCCC website.
A list of members and
information on their background can be found
on the UNFCCC website
The Green Fund is being
launched in the broad context of long-term
financial support agreed at Cancun, under
which industrialized countries committed
to a goal of mobilizing jointly USD 100
billion per year by 2020. These funds would
be raised from a mix of public and private
sources and directly linked to meaningful
mitigation actions and transparency on implementation.
The Cancun Agreements,
reached on 11 December in Cancun, Mexico,
at the 2010 United Nations Climate Change
Conference, are a set of significant decisions
by the international community to address
the long-term challenge of climate change
collectively and comprehensively over time
and to take concrete action now to speed
up the global response.
An overview of these
agreements and an overview of the Green
Climate Fund can be found on the UNFCCC
website.
