Wed, Jul 25, 2012 -
Asian snakes, big cats, great apes, marine
species, parrots, frogs and a myriad of
plants will also be discussed at the 62nd
meeting of its Standing Committee
Geneva, 24 July 2012
- The conservation and management priorities
for the effective regulation of trade in
wild animals and plants from 2013 to 2016
is taking centre stage in Geneva this week.
Some 350 participants
from all over the world are attending the
62nd meeting of the Standing Committee of
the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES). They include observers from Parties,
intergovernmental bodies, the private sector
and non-governmental organizations specialized
in wildlife conservation and international
trade.
The CITES Standing Committee
oversees the implementation of rules for
the international trade in protected wildlife
on behalf of the Conference of the 175 CITES
member States. Among the high priority issues
for discussion are the rise in illegal killing
of elephants and ivory smuggling, and a
decision-making mechanism for a process
of trade in ivory. The agenda of the next
meeting of the Conference of the Parties,
which will take place in Bangkok in March
2013, will also be decided.
The Committee will analyse
the drivers behind the exploding demand
in rhino horn; review the progress made
in the implementation of measures to reduce
overexploitation of freshwater turtles and
tortoises as well as some frogs and plants
from Madagascar; and discuss the sourcing
of Asian snakes used in the leather industry.
Tiger conservation initiatives and illegal
trade in great apes are also on the agenda.
“Recognition of the
importance of CITES at Rio+20 demonstrates
the value of the work carried out by thousands
of wildlife officers everyday to conserve
and use sustainably CITES-listed species
and their habitats. The implementation challenges
are considerable but we have scaled up our
efforts in enforcement, law, science and
financing. CITES has been recognized at
the highest political level, along with
its contribution to sustainable development.
This will in turn help to attract the level
of financial resources that CITES Parties
deserve and need to support the national
implementation of their commitments,” said
CITES Secretary-General John E. Scanlon.
“With elephant and
rhino poaching and smuggling levels being
the worst in a decade, it is clear that
strong additional measures are required.
2013 will be a critical year to adopt enhanced
measures to protect the planet’s biodiversity
and ensure effective implementation on the
ground. The present meeting will help set
the priorities and to ensure the long-term
survival of key species we would like to
leave to future generations,” said the Chairman
of the Committee, Mr Øysten Størkersen.
Elephant conservation
issues
The Committee will consider
a new report that analyses data from four
different authoritative sources: the CITES
programme on Monitoring the Illegal Killing
of Elephants (MIKE), IUCN, the Elephant
Trade Information System (ETIS) managed
by TRAFFIC, and the CITES trade database
managed by the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring
Centre (UNEP-WCMC).
These authoritative
sources of information have shown a very
close correspondence between trends in elephant
poaching and trends in large-scale ivory
seizures, detecting essentially the same
patterns at different points in the illegal
ivory trade chain. Recommendations under
consideration to improve the situation include:
urgently implementing the African elephant
action plan; improving controls for domestic
ivory markets; ensuring stronger collaboration
between African and Asian countries to combat
ivory smuggling; and undertaking international
enforcement actions coordinated by the International
Consortium to Combat Wildlife Crime (ICCWC).
The report on Elephant
conservation, illegal killing and ivory
trade is available at: http://www.cites.org/eng/com/SC/62/E62-46-01.pdf
The committee will also
discuss a study on a Decision-making mechanisms
and necessary conditions for a future trade
in African Elephant Ivory available at:
http://www.cites.org/eng/com/SC/62/E62-46-04-A.pdf
Rhinoceroses
The Committee will examine
a report on the traditional uses of rhino
horn. The report focuses on five historical
consumer markets where both domestic and
international trade are prohibited: China,
Taiwan (Province of China), Japan, the Republic
of Korea and Viet Nam. According to the
report, rarity would seem to be the main
factor, more than any intrinsic value or
properties of the horn itself, coupled with
rising wealth in East and Southeast Asia,
which is creating a market bubble for rhino
horn.
The South African Government
has reported that a total of 281 rhino were
illegally killed on its territory during
the first six months of 2012, compared to
174 in the same period last year. Poaching
levels have seen dramatic increases in recent
years: 13 rhinos poached in 2007, 83 in
2008, 122 in 2009, 330 in 2010, 448 in 2011.
A total of 176 people have been arrested
in South Africa since January 2012, 153
of them alleged poachers, and the others
couriers, buyers or exporters.
The UNTV/CITES documentary
Rhinos under threat,which illustrates this
problematic issue, will be screened on Tuesday
24 July at 5:40 p.m. Geneva time. The film
investigates what is driving the demand
for rhino horn in Asia and the powerful
measures being taken by national authorities
to fight this crime. The film also shows
the need for a tough coordinated enforcement
response at the national and international
levels - from work in the field, to the
use of DNA techniques, effective prosecutions
and the need for severe penalties. It also
shows the impacts that poaching are having
on local communities.
Review of Significant
Trade
The Committee will examine
the export levels for a myriad of animals
and plants. This ‘Review of Significant
Trade’ is a unique compliance mechanism
developed by CITES to verify whether species
are traded at sustainable levels. Among
the cases under review are encouraging developments
regarding the management of tortoises in
Uzbekistan, and amphibians and plants in
Madagascar. Other cases concern, for instance,
the African grey parrot, turtles and tortoises
in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
Additionally, the Committee
will: analyse enforcement deficiencies in
several countries and consider appropriate
compliance measures; consider innovative
financing solutions, including access to
GEF funding and the development of a private
equity fund; review implementation of the
Convention for captive-breeding and ranching
operations (including Nile crocodiles in
Madagascar and birds from the Solomon Islands);
discuss proposals for a uniform interpretation
and application of the term ‘introduction
from the sea’; evaluate the status of national
laws for the implementation of CITES; and,
review Parties’ submission of national reports
on CITES trade.
Note to journalists:
For more information, contact Juan Carlos
Vasquez at +41 22 917 8156 or 41 79 5522732
or juan.vasquez@cites.org.
For official documents
and other information, see: http://www.cites.org/eng/com/sc/62/index.php
The list of the Committee members can be
found at: http://www.cites.org/eng/com/SC/member.shtml
About CITES
With 175 Member States,
CITES remains one of the world's most powerful
tools for biodiversity conservation through
the regulation of trade in wild fauna and
flora. Thousands of species are internationally
traded and used by people in their daily
lives for food, housing, health care, ecotourism,
cosmetics or fashion.
CITES regulates international
trade in close to 35,000 species of plants
and animals, including their products and
derivatives, ensuring their survival in
the wild with benefits for the livelihoods
of local people and the global environment.
The CITES Permit System seeks to ensure
that international trade in listed species
is sustainable, legal and traceable.
CITES was adopted in
Washington D.C. on 3 March 1973. The 40th
anniversary of the Convention will be celebrated
in March 2013 which coincides with the 16th
Meeting of the Conference of the Parties
to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 3
to 15 March 2013.
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Wed, Jul 25, 2012
