To some Vietnamese and Kampuchean fishermen,
Irrawaddy dolphins are considered sacred animals, worthy of reverence because of the way they appear to encircle fish and drive them into fishermen's nets. Irrawaddys found dead in some areas of Vietnam have even been cremated at religious ceremonies, out of respect for the good fortune the animals bring.
But now the dolphins have earned another kind of reverence, one that may help protect them from extinction. Delegates attending the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CoP13) voted on Friday, October 8, to place all populations of Irrawaddys on Appendix I, which will prohibit international trade in the species. The approval must still be approved by a plenary session of the parties next week.
It isn't known how many members of this rare and little known dolphin—found in the rivers and warm, shallow coastal marine waters of southeastern Asia, Indonesia, and northern Australia—still exist in the wild. Supporters of the proposal to list the species on Appendix I argue that Irrawaddy populations are so low (one estimate claims only 1,000 remain in the wild) that removing any of them for any reason is a threat to their survival. Risks to the species include being caught in fishing nets and poisoned by pollution.
Irrawaddy dolphins are currently listed on Appendix II, which permits them to be traded internationally under close controls. Thailand, home to several small populations of the species, proposed the Appendix I listing because of fears that the wild dolphins would be captured and sold to marine parks for public display. Trade in Irrawaddys, especially in Asia, is growing, because the animals can be kept in fresh-water tanks and are supposedly relatively cheap to maintain.
Debate on the future of trade in Irrawaddys began with only about a half hour left in Friday's schedule. Japan, Norway, and Gabon argued that trade is not the major threat to Irrawaddy survival, and pointed to habitat destruction and accidental killing by the fishing trade as more significant threats.
Japan, which imported seven Irrawaddy dolphins in the mid-1990s for public display, reportedly denied that the species was in danger of extinction and called scientific reports of such threats insufficient and misleading. An HSUS observer noted that the Japanese delegate railed against the proposal at such length that the chair of the committee interrupted him to request he finish.
Myanmar, Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands (on behalf of the 25 European Community members of CITES) supported the proposal on the grounds that CITES does not require that trade be the main threat to a species, just one of the threats. Although many delegates and non-governmental organizations wished to speak, the chair, bowing to the lateness of the hour, gave Thailand the floor for the final statement. Thailand told the delegates that it had already put in place both national and regional conservation programs to protect Irrawaddys. An Appendix I listing, the Thai delegate said, would be of great help in these efforts.
When the chair called for a vote, Japan immediately requested a secret ballot and won (only ten votes are required). But it just wasn't Japan's day: The proposal passed with 30 against, 73 for, and eight abstentions.
Forest Protection
Another major victory for conservationists was the vote to list the tropical hardwood ramin on Appendix II, which would regulate its trade. The tree—found in Brunei Darussalam, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and the Solomon Islands—has fallen prey to both legal and illegal lumber operations, which primarily feed the U.S., British, Italian, and Japanese markets. The listing, proposed by Indonesia, was approved by a consensus vote.
Conservationists applauded the vote because it may help protect species who live in ramin forests. The forests are important habitat for endangered species such as orangutans and Sumatran tigers.
Other Committee Activities
On Thursday, October 7, delegates continued to meet in two committees.
Committee I delegates:
- Referred a proposal by Botswana, Namibia and South Africa to list Hoodia—a group of succulent plants, an extract of which is traded internationally as an appetite suppressant—to a working group, which will report back to the committee.
- Approved proposals to transfer the Christmas orchid and the blue vanda orchid from Appendix I to Appendix II. The orchid species are cultivated and traded as ornamental plants.
- Approved a proposal by Madagascar to transfer from Appendix II to Appendix I the Manambe palm, the seeds of which are collected from the wild and traded to produce ornamental plants.
Committee II delegates:
- Discussed the international trade in vicuña (a member of the camel family) cloth and recognized the regulatory and enforcement importance of CITES marking requirements.
- Discussed advances made to date under the National Legislation Project, a long-standing effort to get parties to enact national laws for CITES implementation, which is a requirement for all parties. Under the project, the Standing Committee may recommend a suspension in commercial trade in CITES-listed species for parties that are found not to have CITES-implementing legislation; to date, several parties have come under such trade suspensions. The committee considered a proposal by Argentina (and supported by Japan, Chile, and Bolivia) to delete the trade-suspension aspect of the NLP. The United States and European Union supported retaining the tool, which is rarely used but effective, and in a close vote the committee decided to retain it. The committee adopted several proposals to improve CITES enforcement.
- Discussed the conservation of and trade in Great Apes such as chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. Although all species of Great Apes are listed on Appendix I, illegal commercial trade continues, in the form of bushmeat and pets, as well as their use as diplomatic "gifts." A working group was formed to prepare a document for further consideration by the committee.
- Approved efforts to address conservation and trade in Asian big cats, including tigers, and the Tibetan antelope.
The HSUS will continue posting information on CITES committee activities early next week.
