Wednesday was the final day for the two committees to the 12th
Conference of the Parties (COP12) to CITES to complete
discussions on species proposals, resolutions, and other
documents. As such, committee delegates made a host of
decisions, including one to deny Appendix II protections to
basking sharks and another to protect the big-leaf mahogany
tree, a prime target of loggers.
The last two days of COP12 in Santiago, Chile, will be
devoted to the plenary sessions, in which all the delegates
will meet and approve or re-vote the issues decided in the
separate committee meetings. During these two days, delegates
will make the final decisions on many important proposals,
including those on African elephants, minke and Bryde's whales,
Black Sea bottlenose dolphins, and whale sharks.
Bad News for Basking Sharks—for
Now
The United Kingdom's proposal to include the basking shark
in Appendix II was narrowly defeated by two votes, with 72 in
favor, 38 against, and two abstentions. Noting the closeness of
the vote, Nicola Beynon of Humane Society International
expressed hope that the United Kingdom would bring the proposal
up for a re-vote in the plenary sessions. "Now is the time to
act," Beynon concluded.
There was some good news for sharks: An Australian draft
resolution on conservation and management of sharks was
adopted—over the protests of Japan, Norway, and Iceland. The
resolution gives CITES a role in ensuring that Parties
implement the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization's
International Plan of Action for the Conservation and
Management of Sharks.
Sea Bass: No Go; Seahorse: Yes
Australia withdrew its proposal to list the Patagonian
toothfish (also known as Chilean sea bass) on Appendix II after
it became clear there wasn't enough support among CITES Parties
to guarantee a victory. But, in return, Committee I agreed to
adopt a resolution on cooperation between CITES and the
Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living
Resources (CCAMLR). CCAMLR manages the toothfish fishery,
including the setting of catch quotas.
Committee I also resoundingly passed the United States's
proposal to list seahorses on Appendix II by a vote of 75 in
favor, 24 against, and 19 abstentions. Japan, China, Malaysia,
and Russia opposed the proposal; New Zealand, Kenya, the
European Union, Peru, and Fiji supported it. The committee also
passed a resolution on the conservation of seahorses.
Conservationists applauded the seahorse votes, citing the
serious threats to the species. "International trade to the
traditional markets for medicines and curios, along with the
global aquaria trade, are the main drivers for the demand in
this species," said Beynon. "We welcome the wise, precautionary
decision by CITES to regulate the trade in seahorses and help
ensure the species's long-term viability."
Big-Leaf Mahogany: A Victory for
CITES Itself
Nicaragua and Guatemala's controversial proposal to list
big-leaf mahogany on Appendix II was narrowly approved in a
secret ballot vote of 66 in favor, 30 against, and 14
abstentions. The proposal required a two-thirds majority of all
voters present.
With only a two-vote margin of victory, the proposal is
likely to be brought up for a re-vote in plenary. Still,
environmentalists were elated.
"Today's vote is not just a victory for mahogany," said
Carroll Muffett of Defenders of Wildlife. "It is a victory for
tropical forests, the indigenous peoples of Amazonia, and for
CITES itself. Illegal and unsustainable logging is rampant
across mahogany's range. This logging is a major driver of
tropical forest loss. Individual trees are so valuable that
roads are often cut through virgin forest to fell and extract a
single specimen. By bringing mahogany exploitation under
control, CITES rules will help slow the pace of deforestation,
and help prevent violent intrusions onto indigenous and
protected lands where much of the remaining mahogany
grows."
The Remaining Species
Proposals
Committee I also approved proposals to list certain species
of Madagascar chameleons and burrowing frogs on Appendix II,
and to transfer the Madagascar armored chameleon and
flat-tailed tortoise from Appendix II to I. However, the
Committee did not approve a United States proposal to list the
humphead wrasse on Appendix II. The proposal lost by a count of
65 in favor, 42 against, and five abstentions.
In the last of the animal proposals, Germany withdrew its
bid to list certain species of African swallowtail butterflies
on Appendix II. Committee I also adopted a large number of
proposals to list plant species on the Appendices.
Working Groups and Committee
II
After finishing its consideration of species proposals,
Committee I addressed the results of the working groups set up
earlier to deal with technical issues. The committee agreed to
retain the current central CITES Secretariat registration
system for all operations that breed Appendix I species for
commercial purposes. In the process, the committee rejected the
CITES Secretariat's attempt to make it easier to register such
operations.
The committee also adopted a much-needed resolution to
ensure that export quotas for Appendix II species have a
scientific basis. Finally, the committee adopted a process that
will allow it to review the criteria by which species are
listed on Appendices I and II until COP13.
On its last day, Committee II considered a large number of
technical and practical issues. The committee retained a
resolution on the trade in bears; adopted documents on the
conservation and trade of big cats—including tigers—and Tibetan
antelope; and agreed to maintain a CITES Bushmeat Working
Group. Meanwhile, both Japan and Mexico withdrew their
documents (which basically cancelled one another out) on the
relationship between CITES and the International Whaling
Commission. Russia withdrew its proposal that would have made
it easier to import and export Appendix I animals that were
part of circuses. Finally, the committee rejected a Chilean
document on the establishment of a Marine Species Working
Group.
