Dispelling the myth that the great white shark rules the oceans, immune to all threats and predators, delegates at the
13th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora approved a controversial proposal on Tuesday to place the famous fish on Appendix II.
The Appendix II listing, if approved by the full plenary at the CITES meeting, will mean that international trade in great whites and their parts will be tightly regulated. Australia and Madagascar had proposed the listing; in fact, Ian Cresswell, the head of Australia's CITES delegation, told the delegates that the great white was headed toward extinction if nothing was done to stem the trade in teeth, jaws, and fins. Cresswell stressed that great white populations had dropped as much as 95% in some habitats.
But the listing was important for another reason as well. The great white needs international protections, not just the regional protections the species currently enjoys. Australia, Namibia, Malta, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States all have shark protection laws, but the great white's range spans far beyond those territorial waters—into the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Southern oceans as well as the Mediterranean Sea. Of all the shark species, only two, the basking and whale sharks, had been given any form of CITES protection until now.
No "Jaws"
While the species is viewed by some as an invincible killing machine, Humane Society International's Nicola Beynon points out that this is a flawed perspective. "Contrary to its reputation as an invincible predator, the great white shark is considered vulnerable to extinction&Humans present a far greater threat to the great white shark than it does to us," said Beynon. The species is slow to grow and late to mature, she added, which makes it difficult for populations to bounce back from the depredations of fishing.
Japan, which has strenuously argued that CITES should defer marine fish matters to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), lobbied against great white protections. Even the FAO's Kevern Cochrane chimed in, opining that "it is unclear the extent of trade and the extent to which that trade was driving fishing for white sharks."
But their arguments fell mostly on deaf ears. In a secret ballot (called for by Japan), 87 delegates voted for shark protection, while only 34 opposed it. Only nine delegates abstained (possibly a record low of abstentions in a secret vote).
Two Times Lucky
Another fish was equally lucky. On Monday, the humphead (also known as Napoleon) wrasse, a favorite on menus at luxury restaurants, was also given Appendix II protections. The wrasse has been a victim of the growth of the live reef food fish trade.
According to the Species Survival Network, the wrasse sells for $90-$175US per kg., meaning one large wrasse is worth between $11,700-$33,250US. To get at humphead wrasse, fishermen usually employ cyanide, which destroys the species' coral reef habitat. SSN estimates that where cyanide is used, humphead wrasse populations have dropped tenfold.
Japan Comes Up Empty Handed
On Tuesday, Japan was also stymied in its latest attempt to convince delegates to approve trade in minke whales, a species endangered by commercial whaling, by-catch, environmental changes, and pollution. Japan's proposal to downlist certain West Pacific and North Atlantic populations of minke whales from Appendix I to Appendix II was the nation's sixth such attempt, each one a stab at effectively undermining the International Whaling Commission's moratorium on commercial whaling. But the proposal was rejected by a vote of 55 in favor, 67 against, and 14 abstentions.
Sue Fisher, of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, remarked that "CITES surely has grown tired of Japan's attempts to undermine [the] IWC&Japan's efforts to secure support for its proposal have been unprecedented in both their scale and aggression. After yet another defeat, surely Japan must be counting the cost today—both financially and diplomatically—of its bullying tactics."
For years, Japan has been accused of unfair lobbying tactics at CITES, including promising financial aid to secure the votes of developing nations in Africa and the Caribbean.
No Merchants in Ivory
Delegates spent most of Monday discussing the conservation of elephants and the trade in elephant parts and products, including ivory. Delegates received a report on the Elephant Trade Information System, which compiles data on illegal trade in elephant ivory and other elephant specimens. The report noted that after CITES banned the international ivory trade in 1989, the illegal ivory trade declined for five years straight. But in 1994, it began to increase again, an increase attributable to a growing demand for ivory in China.
What's more, a report from the CITES's program for Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants also pointed out a link between the 4,000 elephants poached annually in Africa and the continued existence of unregulated ivory markets in Africa and Asia.
That was all the delegates apparently needed to hear. They adopted an action plan to control the trade in African elephant ivory. The plan calls on all African elephant range states to prohibit the unregulated domestic sale of ivory, improve enforcement efforts, and engage in public awareness campaigns. Importantly, the plan allows for a suspension of international trade in CITES-listed species with any party or non-party found not to have implemented the action plan.
The parties proceeded to reject a proposal by Namibia for an annual ivory export quota of 2,000 kg (by a vote of 59 against, 31 in favor, and 20 abstentions) and to export unlimited amounts of worked ivory (such as jewelry) for commercial purposes (by a vote of 54 against, 35 in favor, and 23 abstentions).
Conservationists were jubilant: "The parties to CITES have spoken unequivocally to deny additional ivory exports and prevent a return to the days when elephants were brutally slaughtered to create ornamental trinkets," said Adam Roberts, executive director of the Animal Welfare Institute.
This commitment to elephant protection, however, was not evident in two other votes. Kenya proposed a 6-year moratorium on further ivory trade proposals at future CoPs in order to give the ivory trade issue, and elephants, a well-deserved rest, but this was defeated by a vote of 53 in favor, 41 against, and 32 abstentions. Delegates also approved by consensus Namibia's bid to trade in elephant leather and hair goods for commercial purposes as well as South Africa's proposal to allow trade in elephant leather goods for commercial purposes.
Continue to page two to read in greater detail the committees' actions during the last three days at CITES. Other Committee Decisions
Friday, October 8
Committee I delegates:
- Approved a proposal by Botswana, Namibia and South Africa to list hoodia on Appendix II. Hoodia is a group of succulent plants, an extract of which is traded internationally as an appetite suppressant.
- Approved a proposal by China and the United States to list four species of Asian yews, extracts of which are used in pharmaceuticals, on Appendix II.
- Considered a proposal by Indonesia to include agarwood, extracts of which are used for perfumes, incense and medicine, on Appendix II. Also referred further discussion to a working group that will report back to the committee.
- Approved a proposal by Indonesia and the United States to list the Roti snake-necked turtle on Appendix II; this critically endangered species lives on only one Indonesian island, Roti, and is threatened by collection for the international pet trade market, where they cost up to $2,000US per specimen.
Committee II delegates:
- Discussed ways to create greater synergy with the Convention on Biological Diversity and set up a working group to discuss the matter further and report back to the committee.
- Rejected a proposal by Australia for CITES to continue to cooperate with the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) regarding trade in the Patagonian toothfish, a fish used for human consumption (often called Chilean sea bass in the United States).
- Discussed cooperation between CITES and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, noting that the Standing Committee is still considering this issue.
Monday, October 11:
Committee I delegates:
- Didn't get a chance to vote on a proposal to delete the bobcat from Appendix II. The U.S. delegation withdrew the proposal when other parties expressed concern that bobcat skins cannot be readily distinguished from those of some other small spotted cats on Appendix I (such as the critically endangered Iberian lynx). The delegates agreed that the Animals Committee will address the look-alike issue.
- Didn't get a chance to vote on a proposal to transfer the African lion from Appendix II to Appendix I after Kenya withdrew the proposal.
Committee II delegates:
- Adopted a resolution on the conservation of and trade in great apes; the resolution urges parties to adopt and implement laws to protect great apes, strengthen enforcement and anti-poaching measures, eliminate marketing of great ape meat, limit use of great apes as gifts, and promote protection of great ape habitat.
- Agreed that the Standing Committee will review trade in Appendix I species as well as how the determination is made that such trade is not primarily for commercial purposes.
Tuesday, October 12:
Delegates met for their final day in two committees. On the final two days of the meeting, Wednesday and Thursday, delegates will meet as one body, the plenary, to approve or reconsider decisions made in the committees.
Committee I delegates:
- Approved a proposal by Swaziland to transfer its population of southern white rhinos (which numbers only 61 animals) from Appendix I to Appendix II, in order to allow the export of live animals and hunting trophies. Delegates approved the proposal despite the fact that Swaziland has been recognized as not having legislation in place that meets the requirements of CITES.
- Approved proposals to reduce or eliminate CITES protections for two bird species, including a U.S. proposal to transfer the bald eagle (the bird's feathers and claws are traded internationally for ceremonial purposes) from Appendix I to Appendix II. Delegates also approved a U.S.-Namibia proposal to delete the peach-faced lovebird (commonly captive-bred for the international pet trade) from Appendix II.
- Gave increased protections to three bird species threatened by the international pet trade: Delegates approved Indonesia's proposal to transfer the yellow-crested cockatoo from Appendix II to Appendix I; Mexico's proposal to transfer the lilac-crowned Amazon parrot from Appendix II to Appendix I; and a proposal by Mexico and the U.S. to list the painted bunting on Appendix II.
- Provided protections to several turtle species that are threatened by the international pet trade or the Asian food market: The Malagasy spider tortoise was transferred from Appendix II to Appendix I, and the Malayan snail-eating turtle, the Malayan flat-shelled turtle, the southeast Asian softshell turtle, and the pig-nosed turtle were listed on Appendix II.
- Listed on Appendix II the leaf-tailed gecko, a lizard found only on Madagascar, which is threatened by the international pet trade.
- Could not vote on proposals for four snake species (two proposals from Madagascar and two from Kenya), which are also threatened by the international pet trade. The proposals were withdrawn.
- Approved a Cuban proposal to transfer its population of the American crocodile from Appendix I to Appendix II in order to export skins.
- Approved a Namibian proposal to transfer its population of the Nile crocodile from Appendix I to Appendix II in order to export skins.
- Approved a proposal to list the Mediterranean date mussel, threatened by over-collection for human consumption, on Appendix II.
- Rejected a document submitted by Japan that stated that some whale stocks do not meet the criteria for listing on Appendix I and should be transferred to Appendix II and that CITES has not transferred these stocks to Appendix II because the International Whaling Commission has not completed a Revised Management Scheme (which the document calls on CITES parties to urge the IWC to complete and implement).
- Decided to direct the Animals Committee to continue to identify shark species where trade is having an adverse impact.
Committee II delegates:
- Approved a document submitted by Kenya that closes a loophole in rules regarding the disposal of illegally traded, confiscated, and accumulated specimens and emphasizes the right of parties not to allow the sale of confiscated dead specimens, including parts and derivatives, of species on Appendices II or III.
- Adopted new measures to control the international movement of specimens of CITES-listed species that are considered to be "personal and household effects."
- Decided to continue the efforts of the bushmeat working group to address the impact of the this trade on CITES-listed species.
- Decided to hold a meeting to address the illegal trade in Asian big cats, including tigers.
