Bigcats News

[Pckts]

Like I said, the CITES conference is ongoing and many laws, ratings and rulings are taking place, here is a list of what has happened so far.
You'll read "appendices"  but may not know how to gauge them.
Here is how they work....



The CITES Appendices

Appendices I, II and III to the Convention are lists of species afforded different levels or types of protection from over-exploitation (see How CITES works
Appendix I lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants (see Article II, paragraph 1 of the Convention). They are threatened with extinction and CITES prohibits international trade in specimens of these species except when the purpose of the import is not commercial (see Article III), for instance for scientific research. In these exceptional cases, trade may take place provided it is authorized by the granting of both an import permit and an export permit (or re-export certificate). Article VII of the Convention provides for a number of exemptions to this general prohibition.
Appendix II lists species that are not necessarily now threatened with extinction but that may become so unless trade is closely controlled. It also includes so-called "look-alike species", i.e. species whose specimens in trade look like those of species listed for conservation reasons (see Article II, paragraph 2 of the Convention). International trade in specimens of Appendix-II species may be authorized by the granting of an export permit or re-export certificate. No import permit is necessary for these species under CITES (although a permit is needed in some countries that have taken stricter measures than CITES requires). Permits or certificates should only be granted if the relevant authorities are satisfied that certain conditions are met, above all that trade will not be detrimental to the survival of the species in the wild. (See Article IV of the Convention)
Appendix III is a list of species included at the request of a Party that already regulates trade in the species and that needs the cooperation of other countries to prevent unsustainable or illegal exploitation (see Article II, paragraph 3, of the Convention). International trade in specimens of species listed in this Appendix is allowed only on presentation of the appropriate permits or certificates. (See Article V of the Convention)
Species may be added to or removed from Appendix I and II, or moved between them, only by the Conference of the Parties, either at its regular meetings or by postal procedures (see Article XV of the Convention). But species may be added to or removed from Appendix III at any time and by any Party unilaterally (although the Conference of the Parties has recommended that changes be timed to coincide with amendments to Appendices I and II).
The names of species in the Appendices may be annotated to qualify the listing. For example, separate populations of a species may have different conservation needs and be included in different Appendices (e.g. the wolf populations included in Appendix I are only those of Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan, whereas all others are included in Appendix II). Such specifications can appear next to the species name or in the Interpretation section. For this reason, the Appendices should always be consulted alongside the Interpretation with which they are presented.
Parties may enter reservations with respect to any species listed in the Appendices in accordance with the provisions of Articles XV, XVI or XXIII of the Convention.
https://cites.org/eng/app/index.php





CITES CoP17 agreed today in Committee to include all devil rays (Mobula spp.) under the CITES control regime via Appendix II listing.

CITES CoP17 agreed this afternoon in Committee I to put silky shark under its protection by including it in Appendix II.

CITES CoP17 voted in Committee today against the proposals submitted by Namibia and Zimbabwe to allow international commercial trade in their elephant populations.

Governments at CITES CoP17 agreed in Committee II today to close domestic markets of #elephant #ivory that contribute to poaching or illegal trade. See the amended Resolution Conf. 10.10 (Rev. CoP16): https://goo.gl/NysrcC

CITES CoP17 voted in Committee I this morning to give African grey parrot, one of most trafficked birds in the world, the highest level of protection by uplisting the species into Appendix I which prohibits commercial international trade. See the proposal: https://goo.gl/Pvq74o

The first ever CITES Resolution and a full set of Decisions aimed at concrete and targeted actions on demand reduction to tackle #WildlifeTrafficking agreed in Committee I of CITES CoP17. Demand reduction now forms one of the three pronged approach in CITES to combat illegal trade in wildlife.

World's governments agreed this afternoon in Committee I of #CITES #CoP17 to move all 8 species of pangolins, the most trafficked mammal in the world, to Appendix I of CITES for stronger protection. See the proposals https://goo.gl/GGb6gY

Parties to CITES at CoP17 accepted the offer of Government of Sri Lanka to host CITES CoP18 in 2019.






"The EU, which with 28 votes is a powerful force at CITES, also opposed the upgrade to appendix 1. It said that CITES rules meant the highest level protection is reserved for populations that are in steep decline, and that this did not apply to the elephants in Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Some scientific and conservation groups agreed with this, including WWF, Traffic and the Zoological Society of London, arguing the integrity of the CITES was at risk. The EU delegate to CITES said: “The proposal does not meet the biological criteria. [But] this does not mean in any way we are not concerned about the decline of elephants across the continent.” Several nations said cutting the demand for ivory, through education, and better enforcement against poachers were key." You betcha EU.

Rhinos

A bid by the southern African Kingdom of Swaziland to sell rhino horn to raise money for conservation was defeated. The global ban on the sale of rhino horn, prized in Asia for use in traditional medicine, has been in place since 1977.


Elephant
- CITES rejected proposals by Namibia and Zimbabwe to sell ivory to raise funds for conservation.
The proposal was staunchly opposed by east African countries such as Kenya, which has sent a message by burning its stockpiles of ivory in April.
A global ban on ivory sales was imposed in 1989 though CITES allowed one-off auctions from southern Africa in 1999 and 2008.
Those opposed to any loosening of the ban say "dirty ivory" can be laundered by poachers and crime syndicates with licit supplies and that it makes ivory socially acceptable.
A proposal to move southern African elephant populations to Appendix I to provide them with extra protection failed.
CITES also recommended that countries with legal domestic ivory markets - which are not regulated by the convention as its remit is cross-border trade - start closing them down because they are seen as contributing to poaching.



Lion
- Global trade in the bones, claws and teeth of wild lions has also been imposed with exemptions for those harvested from captive-bred lions in South Africa.
The decision on lions was a compromise which fell short of the Appendix I listing that some African countries and conservationists were pushing for.
Conservationists fear the legal market from South African captive-raised lions could provide incentives for poachers to "launder" bones taken from wild lions.
Lion bone is highly sought after in Asia for use in traditional medicines and is used as a substitute for the bones of tigers, which are much rarer. Reply