01 June 2007

Fight Against Illegal Wildlife Trade To Dominate CITES Meeting

United States proposes new species conservation and protection measures

 

An egret stands on a one-horned rhinoceros at the state zoological park in Gauhati, India. The U.S. delegation plans to push for strong conservation measures and international trade protections during the 14th Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Conference of the Parties in The Hague, Netherlands, June 3-15. (File photo © AP Images)

An egret stands on a one-horned rhinoceros at the state zoological park in Gauhati, India. (File photo © AP Images)

By Lea Terhune
USINFO Staff Writer

Washington – The U.S. delegation will push for strong conservation measures and international trade protections when the 14th Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Conference of the Parties (CITES-CoP) convenes June 3-15.

“CITES has proven to be a powerful tool to prevent the extinction of species such as tigers, elephants and whales and we intend to work with other countries to support the continued protection and conservation of these species,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior Todd Willens, said prior to leaving for the meeting in The Hague, Netherlands. He heads the U.S. delegation.

The tentative U.S. negotiating positions on CITES agenda items were listed in the June 1 Federal Register. The notice shows elephants, Asian big cats and some fish species are of special concern.

The United States wants new restrictions on international trade in sawfish, a shark-like ray, the catching of which is banned on U.S. coasts, and on 26 species of pink and red corals. Sawfish are over-harvested for their saw and fins, and corals for jewelry and other ornaments.

Concern that China might lift its domestic moratorium on trade in tiger parts has prompted the United States to urge China to continue the ban, according to a May 25 U.S. Department of Interior statement.

Lifting the ban could increase tiger farming, which “could provide a cover for trade in illegally poached tigers.” Chinese traditional medicine uses a number of endangered plant and animal species, including tigers, rhinoceros, bears and saiga antelopes. Studies have shown that demand in China has contributed to decline of these species.

Conservationists support the U.S. position. Ashok Kumar of Wildlife Trust of India told USINFO that tiger farms would precipitate the extinction of the already precarious tiger population in India. Parts from wild tigers are more desirable and less expensive to obtain than the costly farm-raised variety, he said.

Because of “the potential for creating or increasing demand for wild Appendix-I [greatly endangered] species,” the United States supports use of alternative ingredients in traditional medicines instead of captive breeding, according to the Federal Register notice.

A proposal by Botswana and Namibia for an annual ivory export quota will be watched carefully by the United States, which has opposed such quotas. The U.S. position is that until conditions are fulfilled for a one-time ivory sale approved by CITES in 2002, consideration of export quotas is premature. (See related article.)

Another item on the CITES agenda that will draw U.S. interest is the role of the Internet in the illegal wildlife trade. The United States has invested enforcement resources to police illegal Internet sale of endangered wildlife.

Organizations such as the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) join in countering Internet ivory trade. For the past two years, IFAW has lobbied eBay, the U.S.-based Internet auction site, to stop online sale of ivory. IFAW’s Peter Pueschel told USINFO it has been a tough fight. “Enforcement in eBay is a disaster,” he said, “It looks like they aren’t taking it seriously at all.” Pueschel said criminals may launder contraband ivory easily on the Internet, and he credits the Chinese government for banning Internet ivory sales.

Final U.S. positions on several proposals on the CITES-CoP agenda are pending reports at the conference. Issues on the agenda include the listing of plant and animal species under Appendix I, which prohibits all commercial trade; Appendix II, which allows strictly controlled trade; or Appendix III, which lists species in need of regional trade monitoring and regulation. Trade control, monitoring and handling of wildlife will be discussed.

The United States has a long commitment to species conservation, domestically and internationally. (See related article.)

The United States finances programs through congressionally mandated multinational species conservation funds and Wildlife Without Borders, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Separate funds promote conservation of Asian and African elephants, tigers, rhinoceros, great apes and marine turtles.

CITES embodies an international agreement to control and regulate global trade in threatened plant and animal species. The United States is among 171 signatories to the pact.

The full text of the Federal Register notice is available on the U.S. Government Printing Office Web site.

The full text of Willens testimony in early May to a House Natural Resources Committee subcommittee on U.S. preparations for the CITES meeting is available on the House Natural Resources Committee Web site.

The full text of the Department of Interior’s press release on the upcoming CITES-CoP convention is available on the department’s Web site.

For additional information on U.S. policy, see Environment.