Bridges Weekly Trade News Digest • Volume 8 • Number 34 • 13th October 2004

CITES Expands Coverage, Discusses Wildlife Trafficking, Ivory, DNA

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Key decisions were made this week at the 2-14 October Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) in Bangkok, Thailand. These included decisions on a Southeast Asian initiative to combat wildlife trafficking, the regulation of a number of heavily-traded species, and cross-cutting issues. CITES is one of several multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) currently being discussed at the WTO, where Members are negotiating on the relationship between MEAs and multilateral trade rules as part of the Doha round. The 13th CITES COP provides an opportunity for parties to the agreement to review restrictions on trade in endangered species or propose new ones by listing them on CITES ‘Appendices I, II, or III,’ or through action plans. Animal and plant species listed under CITES Appendix I are considered highly threatened with extinction, and are excluded from trade, except in very special circumstances, while 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. Appendix III lists species that are subject to domestic regulation, and for which a Party requests the cooperation of other Parties to control international trade.

Thailand to lead initiative against wildlife trafficking

On 11 October, ministers and senior officials from the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) promised to join together to stop illegal trafficking in threatened species in a regional plan launched and approved by delegates at the CITES meeting. In his opening speech on 2 October to CITES delegates, Thailand’s Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra stressed the need for global and regional efforts to fight organised criminal activities related to international trade in wildlife. He proposed that Thailand could take the lead in forming a regional law enforcement network to combat wildlife crime, offering to host a meeting in 2005 to work out the details of establishing such a network. Conservation groups say that cross-border trafficking in wildlife is difficult to curb, owing to few or no laws, the low priority given to it by governments and poor resources and training for enforcement. Roger Lahanan, from the Asian Conservation Alliance, said that "this region badly needs such a body proposed by the Thai Prime Minster and we’ll work with the government to make sure it happens as soon as possible".

CITES upgrades Hoodia, Ramin, Irrawady dolphin

South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana were successful in their proposal to list Hoodia, a medicinal plant long used by Africa’s San people for its appetite-suppressing qualities, in Appendix II (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 23 September 2004). In addition, Indonesia’s proposal to uplist the Ramin tree from Appendix III to II was passed by the COP. The ramin tree has long been one of Southeast Asia’s major export timbers, and Indonesia emphasised that the Appendix II listing would ensure better enforcement of conservation measures and benefit orangutan populations. In addition, the Irrawaddy dolphin was transferred from Appendix II to I despite opposition from Japan, Norway, and Gabon. The great white shark and humphead wrasse were added to Appendix II. However, Indonesia’s proposal, supported by the EU, to include the agarwood tree and all its parts and derivatives in Appendix II was sent to a working group following opposition from the US. Delegates later approved a decision to convene a capacity-building workshop on trade in agarwood prior to CITES COP-14.

Whales, ivory controversial

Japanese delegates accused the West of "cultural imperialism" and vowed to continue efforts to expand whaling after CITES voted against downgrading three stocks of minke whale from Appendix I to Appendix II. Such a downgrade would have enabled wider trade in the species, thereby feeding the tastes of the Japanese for whale meat, but faces opposition from conservationists who view the killing of whales as barbaric. It would have also put pressure on the International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on whaling. "The West is trying to impose its unilateral standards on us. I regard this as cultural imperialism," Japanese delegate Masayuki Komatsu told Reuters. Members also clashed on a draft action plan for the control of trade in African elephant ivory, which was eventually approved. There was further disagreement over Kenya’s proposal, eventually rejected, that Parties refrain for six years from submitting downlisting proposals and engaging in trade of raw and worked ivory. Disagreement centred upon whether such a moratorium on elephant trade would cause illegal trade to thrive and require financial resources for enforcement. Namibia’s annotation to include trade in elephant leather and hair goods for commercial purposes was adopted by consensus, but its proposals to allow an annual export quota of 2,000 kilogrammes of accumulated raw ivory and to allow trade in worked ivory products were rejected.

Cross-cutting issues

Delegates adopted a revised draft decision on economic incentives and discussed the relationship between CITES and the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), with the role of sustainable use of resources forming the centre of the debate. Namibia’s submission regarding synergies between CITES and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), focusing on the Addis Ababa Principles and Guidelines on sustainable use adopted at CBD COP-7 in early 2004 (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 20 February 2004), was adopted by CITES. On a different note, the EU’s proposal to exempt the in vitro cultivated DNA of listed species from CITES regulation prompted vigorous debate and was eventually withdrawn, with some delegates anticipating that this issue will continue to be rejected as long as the discussions on access to genetic resources and benefit sharing remain controversial under the CBD.

Lower Caviar Quota Set

On the sidelines of COP-13, the CITES Secretariat on 8 October announced the 2004 export quotas for Caspian Sea sturgeon, following an agreement by the five Caspian Sea states to significantly reduce their caviar export quotas for this year. The allocation had been delayed as the Secretariat was awaiting submission of the required conservation information (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 10 September 2004).

ICTSD Reporting; "Proposal for Wildlife Interpol Gets Support," TERRAVIVA, 4 October 2004; ENB, Vol. 21 No. 35-42, 3 October 2004; "CITES authorizes 2004 export quotas for Caspian Sea caviar," CITES, 8 October 2004; "ASEAN Unveil Proposal To Curb Wildlife Trafficking," AP, 12 October 2004; "Japan loses bid to loosen trade in whale products," REUTERS, 12 October 2004.