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Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora (CITES)

The international trade of wildlife is estimated to be worth of billions of dollars, including hundreds of millions of plant and animal specimens. This trade ranges from live animals and plants to a vast array of wildlife products derived from them, including food products, exotic leather goods, wooden musical instruments, timber, tourist curios and medicines. Such a high level of exploitation and trade of some animal and plant species with various other factors such as habitat loss or destruction leads to severe depletion of their populations and even gets them close to extinction. While many wildlife species in trade are not endangered, but there is a need for an agreement to ensure the trade sustainability in order to maintain these resources for the future (You may also interested in Bonn Convention).


CITES

CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora), also known as the Washington Convention is an international agreement between governments which commits to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. It was conscripted as a result of resolution agreed at a meeting of members of the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 1963. The text of convention was finally adopted in Washington D.C., the United States of America on 3rd March 1973 at a meeting of representatives of 80 countries but it came into force in July 1975. The CITES secretariat is located at Geneva, Switzerland and is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).


As wildlife trade take place across borders, its regulation requires international cooperation to protect certain species from overexploitation. CITES was adopted in the essence of such cooperation. At present, it protects more than 37,000 species of plants and animal, whether they are traded as live specimens, fur coats or dried herbs. As of June 2019, there are 183 parties to the convention that have agreed to be bound by the convention. While CITES is legally binding on the Parties but it does not take the place of national laws. Rather it provides a framework to be respected by each Party, which has to adopt its own domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is implemented at the national level. You are also interested in: Bio-Diversity Loss.

Conference of Parties to CITES

The Conference of Parties to CITES is the supreme decision making body of the convention that meets every two-three year to review and make decisions on the regulation of trade in endangered species. The main purpose of these meetings is to consider new proposals for listing or removing species from appendices, to debate other decisions and resolutions about implementation of regulations, and to review conservation progress.

CITES Appendices

At present, there are about 5,800 species of animals and 30,000 species of plants safeguarded by CITES against over-exploitation. They are characterised into one of three appendices, depending on how at risk from trade they are.

Appendix I

It lists the species that are in danger of extinction and trade in specimens are acceptable only in exceptional circumstances. There are about 1200 species in this category. Examples are gorillas, sea turtles, most lady slipper orchids, and giant pandas.

Appendix II

It includes species that are not in danger of imminent extinction but requires strict monitoring so that the trade does not become a threat for their survival. Currently there are 34,419 species are included in this category. Examples include paddlefish, lion, American alligators, mahogany and many corals.

Appendix III

It lists species which are protected in at least one country and that party seeks assistance from other CITES parties in controlling unsustainable trade. Currently, 147 species are listed e.g. map turtles and cape stag beetles.


Role of CITES

·         It works by subjecting international trade in specimens of selected species to certain controls.

·         All import, export, re-export and introduction from the sea of species covered by the Convention has to be authorized through a licensing system.

·         Each Party to the Convention must designate one or more Management Authorities in charge of administering that licensing system and one or more Scientific Authorities to advise them on the effects of trade on the status of the species.

·         Appendices I, II and III to the Convention are lists of species got different types of protection against over-exploitation.

 

 

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