On Friday, November 8, Committee I delegates at the 12th Conference of the Parties (COP12) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) rebuffed Japan's bid to circumvent the International Whaling Commission and rejected the country's attempts to open trade in certain stocks of minke and Bryde's whales.

The momentous decision capped the first week of CITES meetings in Santiago, Chile, where Committee I delegates also tackled two high-profile proposals to register captive-breeding farms, which would allow for trade in green sea turtles and cheetahs even though both species are protected under Appendix I.

Japan's Slip of the Pen

Committee I started its day with Japan's proposals to downlist the northern hemisphere stocks of minke whales and north Pacific stocks of Bryde's whales from Appendix I to Appendix II, thereby allowing whaling nations to export parts of the two species (including blubber and meat). If approved, the proposals would have undermined the authority of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which has banned commercial whaling since 1986.

But in a bit of eleventh-hour drama, even before debate could begin, Japan asked to amend its proposals. The country discovered that the wording used in the proposals would have allowed trade only between Parties to the IWC and would not have allowed a nation to export whales taken from waters outside its territory. For Japan, this was a particularly damaging error in wording, since the country kills most of its whales outside its territorial waters, and these are the whales whose parts Japan would want to trade. However, the Secretariat ruled against allowing Japan's amendment under COP12 Rules of Procedure.

According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, Japan made another error in drafting its proposals: The management provisions, essential to giving the proposals the appearance of sustainability, were unacceptable to Japan's best ally in the fight for whaling, Norway. Norway, Iceland, and Russia all spoke against the management provisions as "unreasonable and burdensome."

Still, both Norway and Iceland supported the proposals, as did Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Zimbabwe, Benin, and Cote d’Ivorie. The proposals were opposed by the United States, Canada, the European Union, Australia, Fiji, Mexico, India, Monaco, Kenya, Chile, and Israel. Japan requested, and received, the ten votes needed to hold secret ballots on both proposals, but it lost both votes. The minke whale proposal received 41 votes in favor, 54 against, and five abstentions; the Bryde's whale proposal received 43 votes in favor, 53 against, three abstentions, and two ruined ballots.

Noting that the IWC governs international whaling and has recommended that CITES prohibit trade in species protected from commercial whaling by the IWC—including minke and Bryde's whales—the delegate representing the European Union said, "We are opposed to any measures that undermine the primacy of the International Whaling Commission on this matter. In particular, there should be no return to commercial whaling until the IWC deems that the appropriate management controls are in place and separate decisions have been taken by IWC on the resumption of commercial whaling. Consequently, we cannot support the proposals."

After the vote, Kitty Block of The HSUS's United Nations and Treaties section, said, "Today was a great victory for the whales. By refusing to allow a resumption of international trade in whales, the CITES Parties upheld the primacy of the IWC and maintained the integrity of the IWC whaling moratorium."

Captive Breeding Facilities

The whale debate behind them, members of Committee I proceeded to two proposals to register captive breeding operations—one for a green sea turtle facility in the British-held Cayman Islands, and the other for a cheetah breeding operation in South Africa. Although both species are listed on Appendix I, these operations, once registered with the CITES Secretariat, would be allowed to export certain parts and products or even live animals, as designated in the proposals, for commercial purposes as though they were on Appendix II.

Many conservationists were appalled that the generally conservation-oriented United Kingdom was seeking approval of the registration of the Cayman Islands breeding farm. The green sea turtle is a highly migratory endangered species.

"We find it shocking that Great Britain would submit this application for a facility which the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has publicly stated would fail to meet United Kingdom animal welfare standards," said Rebecca Crane of the HSUS United Nations and Treaties section.

Parties also raised concerns that legalizing the international trade in sea turtle products would stimulate demand for such products, thus increasing illegal trade (as has been the case with ivory). What's more, Parties questioned the origin of the operation's breeding stock, and whether animals from the farm would cause disease and/or genetic harm if they escaped or were released into the wild. Japan and Indonesia voiced support for the proposal, while Israel, the United States, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Barbados, Fiji, and Saudi Arabia voiced opposition.

The Cayman Islands proposal was defeated on a vote with 38 in favor, 24 against, and 48 abstentions. The proposal required that two-thirds of all the voting delegates cast a ballot in favor.

Meanwhile, the proposal for a cheetah breeding farm in South Africa was approved with little discussion. Kenya and the United States put up weak opposition, but once their concerns were addressed to their satisfaction, the proposal was approved by consensus. The facility will now be able to export live, captive-bred cheetahs worldwide for commercial purposes.

More Bad News for Black Sea Bottlenose Dolphins

In Committee II on Friday, the Black Sea bottlenose dolphin took yet another conservation hit. Not only did the Parties defeat a proposal to transfer the subspecies from Appendix II to I on Thursday, but a day later, they also decided to eliminate a special decision made at COP11, calling on the CITES Animals Committee to review trade and conservation of the subspecies. (This review was never fully undertaken.) Israel defended the retention of the decision, while the chair of the Animals Committee informed participants that the IWC was now dealing with the issue. The death knell having rung, Committee II deleted the decision.

Tell the United States Not to Back the Ivory Trade

During the November 11 discussion of Botswana's elephant proposal, the delegation from the United States announced on the floor of Committee I that it would support Botswana's sale of 20 metric tons of stockpiled ivory under certain circumstances. This is the first time since 1989 that the United States has gone on record in support of the ivory trade. Without the support of their hitherto strong ally, elephants may be lost. Contact Judge Craig Manson, head of the U.S. delegation, before Tuesday, November 12, 6 a.m. EST. Let him know that you are appalled that the United States would support any international trade in ivory under any conditions, and that you strongly oppose the ivory trade and expect the U.S. delegation to do so as well. His e-mail address is Craig_Manson@ios.doi.gov.