ISSN 1564-9164 CITES WorldCITES World Official Newsletter of the Parties Convention on International...

CITES WorldOfficial Newsletter of the Parties

Convention on International Tradein Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

Issue Number 17 – July 2006

ISSN 1564-9164

Finding a simple way toexplain CITES

Multilateral agreements between governments bringto mind high-level meetings, international diplomacyand national policy setting. CITES is a result of all ofthese, but there is something more: the Conventionaffects people in their daily activities, and, as adecision-maker in the trade chain, the public is a majorstakeholder in the regulatory process. If the publicdoes not understand or support the Convention, thismakes the task of implementing CITES much moredifficult and this, in turn, affects the effectiveness ofthe Convention.

The individual actions of consumers are important.Any informed decision to purchase or not wildanimals or plants or items made from them requiresthe public to have accurate information on applicablelaws (and specifically whether buying or possessingthe specimen or product in question is lawful), andon conservation impact (e.g. whether the trade isenvironmentally sustainable or detrimental). All toooften, the popular ‘don’t buy’ campaigns do notadequately distinguish between illegal and legal trade.They also blur the distinction between trulyendangered species, in which commercial trade is

generally prohibited, and the vast majority of CITES-listed species in which commercial trade isauthorized. Such campaigns do not provideconsumers with enough information on which tomake balanced and informed decisions, tend ratherto simplify complex management issues and overtlyor covertly promote a generic ‘trade is bad’ message.This is clearly not in line with the trade provisions ofthe Convention. When overly broad, the ‘don’t buy’campaigns undermine legitimate trade that providesfinancial incentives for species protection andsustainable resource management, and theynegatively impact on the livelihoods of communities.

This edition of CITES World examines the difficultythat all Parties face in trying to explain in simpleterms a convention such as CITES. In this edition,Australia, China (Hong Kong SAR), Italy, NewZealand, Slovenia, the United Arab Emirates andthe United States of America share their experiencesand examples in this regard, and the WorldAssociation of Zoos and Aquariums provides insightson how zoos promote a greater understanding ofCITES. The Secretary-General notes that CITESshould be simple, but has been made exceedinglycomplex in its 30-year history through the adoptionof resolutions, decisions and stricter domesticmeasures.

This edition is also the first all-electronic version ofthe official newsletter of the Parties. In its financialdeliberations at its 13th meeting (Bangkok, 2004),the Conference of the Parties opted to redirect thebudget for printing the newsletter to other purposes.CITES World thus joins the growing ranks ofe-publications, and we will adapt the format in futureeditions to be more easily read from a computerscreen. As there are no longer any printing productionschedules and printing and mailing costs, we areexamining how we might increase the number ofeditions and change from the July/Decemberpublication schedule to a more frequent and flexibledelivery that better reflects events on the CITEScalendar. We do strive to meet the needs of theParties, and suggestions on the development of thenewsletter are most welcome.

Stephen Nash

From the Editor – Finding a simple way to explainCITES

Australia, China (Hong Kong SAR), Italy,New Zealand, Slovenia, the United Arab Emirates andthe United States of America share their experiences ofexplaining CITES to the public

The World Association of Zoos and Aquariumspromoting CITES

Ten popular misconceptions about CITES

From the Secretary-General – Understanding CITES

CITES explained in one paragraph

Secretary-General’s Certificate of Commendation

World – Official Newsletter of the Parties Issue 17

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Italian initiatives to enhancepublic awareness aboutCITES

During 2005 the Italian Management Authoritypromoted important initiatives to explain CITES towider audiences and to increase public awareness.

The Italian Ministry of Environment and LandProtection, in cooperation with the Corpo Forestaledello Stato, Customs Agency and Ministero delle AttivitàProduttive, organized a permanent display at thedeparture gates of the International Airport ‘RomaFiumicino’. Two large panels written in Italian andEnglish have been placed at the entrance hall of theairport to show some basic information about CITESand, above all, to draw the attention of the public tothe possibility of transporting animals or plantsillegally.

Small guides are also available for tourists at the samelocation. These contain a short description andintroduction to CITES and an overview of CITESsouvenirs from the main tourist destinations. Theyalso give examples of cases where permits arerequired, the consequences of not having the properCITES documents and some of the CITES specimensthat are the most commonly confiscated. Finally theguide includes the details of the ManagementAuthorities of the States it refers to and comprises ashort section with games for children.

The display is enriched by the projection of videoshowing images of the illegal capture, collection andtransport of CITES animal and plants. There is alsoa permanent exhibition of seized specimens to drawthe public’s attention to the display.

Following an agreement with the Rome ZooFondazione Bioparco di Roma, the Ministry ofEnvironment and Land Protection, together with theCorpo Forestale dello Stato, has organized a permanentdisplay entitled Furti di Natura (stolen nature), locatedinside the zoo itself in the centre of Rome.

The exhibition consists of different seized CITESspecimens displayed in showcases and focuses on theillegal capture and collection of and trade inspecimens and, on the way in which this can affectthe global conservation of biodiversity.

The display aims to inform and create a greaterawareness of the link between the millions of livespecimens that are ‘stolen’ from nature every yearfor the pet market, fur traders, plant nurseries andthe timber industry, and the threat that this representsfor nature conservation.

Even though this display is open to the wider public,it targets particularly students and teachers of primaryand secondary schools. To this purpose an‘educational kit’ has been produced, consisting ofsmall suitcases containing all kinds of educationalmaterial (e.g. puzzles, drawings, games with animalsand plants) that are given every time a school visitsthe display.

As a follow-up to this initiative, the FondazioneBioparco di Roma will create a separate websiteentirely dedicated to the illegal trade in animals andplants.

CITES Management Authority of Italy

Pictures of the exhibition “Furti di Natura”

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Reaching out to the public:the UAE experience

Facing the challenge of a multicultural society

In the 1970s, the great oil boom brought hugeprosperity to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Sincethen, the UAE, which signed and joined CITES in1990, has been characterized by the uniqueness of amulticultural and multilingual society. In the Emirateof Dubai alone, people from over 100 nationalitieshave come to call it home. With different languages,educational backgrounds, traditions, views andcultures, this makes any awareness campaign achallenging task.

The UAE CITES Management Authorities, ScientificAuthorities and UAE governmental agencies havetaken this aspect into consideration when designingawareness-raising material and programmes for thegeneral public.

Empowering the national population

To build capacity among employees involved incombating illegal trade, the authorities organizedseveral workshops and training courses, incooperation with the CITES Secretariat. One of theworkshops targeted Customs officials while anotherfocused on municipality officials and employees ofthe Management and Scientific Authorities.Moreover, a ‘Training of the trainers’ workshop wasorganized which led to the certification of fourtrainers. One of the trainers then went on to conducta three-day training workshop for North AfricanArab-Speaking Parties in Rabat, Morocco. Theworkshop proceedings were produced in Arabic andEnglish on a CD-ROM and distributed so that other

governmental departments in the UAE and the restof the Arab world may benefit from it. Additionallyawareness presentations have been delivered touniversity and school students as well as to pet-shopowners.

Authorities have ensured that several UAEgovernmental websites carry information aboutCITES and promote awareness, e.g. those of theEnvironment Agency: Abu Dhabi (www.ead.ae);Federal Environment Agency (www.fea.gov.ae);and a general informational website(www.uae.gov.ae/uaeagricent).

Getting others involved in the fight againstillegal trade

One of the first steps the authorities took was todevelop an identification manual to allow governmentagencies to get more involved in the fight againstillegal trade in wildlife.

This manual is comprehensive yet simple. It is aimedat non-experts in the field such as pet-shop employeesand entry-point officers. The fact that it avoidstechnical jargon as much as possible and explains thevarious Appendices has helped facilitate theimplementation of an often complex convention. Ithas also helped raise awareness of the species coveredby the Convention that are commonly traded in theUAE. It carries interesting facts on both CITES andnon-CITES native species that are threatened andendangered in the UAE. In addition to the scientificand English name, the manual also lists the Arabicname. Authorities in the UAE firmly believe thatawareness plays a key role in wildlife conservationand therefore places great importance on producingpublications such as this manual.

Other publications that have been produced includea flyer on falconry, which contains information aboutpurchasing new falcons, releasing falcons back intothe wild, sending them abroad for breeding, huntingtrips using falcons, registering falcons, and theprocedure to follow to acquire a certificate ofownership (falcon passport).

Promoting awareness to a targeted audience

Authorities in the UAE have been keen to participatein the annual International Hunting and EquestrianExhibition. They have thus promoted awareness ofCITES since 2002. With the exhibition mainlyfrequented by falconers from the UAE and thesurrounding region, the authorities are able to addresstheir target audience in one venue and to raiseClassroom training

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Public awareness in China –Hong Kong SpecialAdministrative Region

CITES has been in effect in Hong Kong since 1976.The Convention continued to apply to the HongKong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)after June 1997 when it was re-unified with China.Over the years, especially in the early days ofimplementation, Hong Kong faced much difficultyin convincing the general public, in particulartraders, of the need to protect endangered speciesand the importance to implement CITES. Thegeneral misconception prevailed that CITES wasto put hurdles to trade with an ultimate aim toprohibit all trade in animals and plants. Strongenforcement was effective in curbing the illegaltrade that was rampant in the early days. However,in the long run, implementing the Conventioncould never be a success without the understandingand support of the public, and Hong Kongconsidered that a correct picture of CITES couldonly be provided to the traders and the generalpublic through public education.

awareness of sustainable hunting and control of illegaltrade. Most recently, a Falconry Manual, produced inArabic, was widely distributed. It explains theprocedures needed to register a falcon and providesgeneral information about CITES. Posters were alsodisplayed on the Arabian Oryx, Arabian leopard,houbara bustard, parrots and reptiles.

The Arabic version of a series of six EnvironmentCanada’s CITES Identification Guides is also inpreparation. They have been translated into Arabicand will be ready for distribution soon for the use ofUAE Customs officials and employees, as well asother related departments. The guides were producedin cooperation with the Emirates Wildlife Society/World Wildlife Fund for Nature.

CITES Appendices I, II and III have already beentranslated into Arabic to further improve theimplementation of Federal Law No. 11 of 2002 regar-ding the Regulation and Control of International Tra-de in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

The United Arab Emirates has developed

a variety of publicationsto reach out to the public

Passing the message through the media

Authorities have established a strong and regularrelationship with the media. This is especiallysignificant when any confiscations take place, asthe media is alerted and information is released atthe national, regional and international levels. Forexample, when a recent check in a large retail shopin the Emirate of Abu Dhabi resulted in the findingof 45 kg of caviar worth over AED 180,000 andbeing sold illegally without proper CITESdocumentation, the news received comprehensivecoverage and awareness was raised on theimportance of such retailers being targeted as partof the fight against illegal trade. Moreover,authorities raided several pet shops in the animalmarket and confiscated several specimensincluding monkeys, turtles, parrots and pythons,which were being sold illegally without properdocumentation. An awareness campaign wascarried out to bring this important message to thepublic.

CITES Management Authority of the United Arab Emirates


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Over the last decade, much effort has been made tostep up education work to promote the publicawareness of the need to protect endangered speciesand of what CITES is. After years of efforts, tradersnowadays generally acknowledge that CITES is toregulate trade, rather than prohibit it, so that it can beconducted in a sustainable way, which in turn willbenefit legal trade in the long run. There is also achange in the attitude of the general public that nowsupports the idea that trade in endangered speciesmust be regulated and that highly endangered speciesshould be fully protected. This has been reflected inthe recent legislative amendment to Hong Kong’sCITES law which drew overwhelming support fromthe trade sector and other interested parties.

In order to raise the profile of CITES and of the relatedregulation effectively, Hong Kong conducted a seriesof public education programmes targeted at differentsectors, including traders, travellers, students and thegeneral public. Close contacts are maintained withtraders, other enforcement agencies and NGOs. Specialevents are also organized whenever the opportunityarises.

Traders

Communication is essential to gain the support andcooperation of traders in CITES control. Apart fromday-to-day contacts with individual traders, closeliaison is also maintained through meetings with tradeassociations of different trade sectors such astraditional Chinese medicine, floral, pet, aquarium,ivory, fur and leather. Whenever there is any essentialchange in CITES control, including amendments tothe CITES Appendices, traders are briefed about thedetails of those changes to ensure that they are wellaware of the reason for the change. Circulars are sentto particular traders or, if necessary, all traders.Currently, the CITES Management Authority ofHong Kong maintains on record the contact details

of over 18,000 traders. Opportunities are also soughtto publish articles in trade magazines and to distributeadvisory leaflets through trade associations.

Travellers

Travellers are often found bringing into or taking outof Hong Kong specimens of endangered specieswithout the required CITES documents. CITESauthorities make publicity at airport and bordercontrol points through the posting of posters,distribution of leaflets, setting up of display cabinetsof commonly seized items and broadcasting of audioand televised messages. In addition, leaflets aredistributed through travel agents while talks are givento tour guides. The Hong Kong Customs and ExciseDepartment also actively participates in the publicitywork besides its routine enforcement effort.

Students

Students are also one of our target groups. Regulartalks are given and education materials provided toschools. Temporary exhibitions are also organizedfrom time to time in schools. Confiscated specimensare donated to schools as display items to remindstudents of the need to protect wildlife. Endangeredspecies protection has also been included in thesecondary-school curriculum.

The public

In order to publicize widely among the general publicthe importance to protect endangered species and therelevant controls, exhibitions are regularly organizedat public venues such as shopping malls and publiclibraries. Announcements are made through mediaincluding the television and radio. Advertisementsare posted in public transport, including buses andtrains. Finally, our website (www.cites.org.hk) is alsoregularly updated with the latest information.

Leaflets on different topics producedby the Hong Kong CITES Management Authority

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Advertisements in trains

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The Endangered Species Resources Centre

Explaining CITES to thepublic in the United States

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), whichis the CITES Authority of the United States has madegreat efforts over the years to inform the general publicand permit applicants about CITES and itsrequirements in a clear and concise manner. Ourefforts include public meetings and presentations,electronic dissemination of information, publishedmaterials, and daily availability of U.S. CITESManagement Authority staff for telephone inquires.We have also taken steps to ensure that the public isincluded in the U.S. process of preparing for CITESmeetings of the Conference of the Parties (CoPs).

Public meetings and presentations

The Service has determined that, in many cases, it isbeneficial to hold public meetings to inform thegeneral public about specific CITES-related issues.Such meetings, held in different locations around thecountry, are announced through the U.S. FederalRegister, a daily publication for rules, proposed rules,and notices of U.S. government agencies andorganizations. Most recently, the U.S. Managementand Scientific Authorities held a series of five publicmeetings on the issue of exports of American ginseng(Panax quinquefolius, Appendix II)

In addition to public meetings, the Service takes anyavailable opportunities at national and internationalmeetings to give presentations on CITES, hold openmeetings, or maintain CITES information booths.For example, the Service recently gave a CITES slidepresentation at a meeting of national museumassociations and maintained a CITES informationbooth at the International Reptile Expo.

Our CITES website

Over the past 20 to 25 years, we have developed aseries of CITES fact-sheets; leaflets providing brief,easy-to-understand information about various aspectsof the CITES treaty. For example, a fact-sheet onCITES permits and certificates briefly explains whatCITES is, what CITES documents are required fortrading in specimens of species listed in Appendix I,II or III, and how a potential permit applicant wouldapply for a U.S. CITES permit or certificate. We alsohave fact-sheets on specific CITES issues including:trade in Appendix-II specimens and how such tradesupports sustainable use, trade in Appendix-III

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A team working hard on their sand sculpturein a competition on endangered species protection

The Endangered Species Resource Centre

The Endangered Species Resource Centre was set upin 2001. It exhibits around 600 specimens of 200endangered species confiscated during enforcementactivities. The Centre provides a good venue for allthose who wants to know more about endangeredspecies and CITES. It now attracts over 7,000 visitorsannually, including traders, school children,government officials and the general public. Guidedtours are provided for groups with advanced booking.To better serve the public, self-guided audio deviceswill be provided later this year.

Special events

Every effort has been made to explore new initiativeswith outside bodies such as the Sand Sculpture andPhoto Competition which was organized with theReader’s Digest Asia in 2003. The competition wasopened to the public and the event attracted 1,000visitors. For schools, there were the drawing contestand radio play competition. Both events were wellreceived and widely publicized.

CHAN Yu Nam, Endangered Species Protection OfficerAgriculture, Fisheries and Conservation DepartmentHong Kong Special Administrative Region


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specimens, exporting captive-bred CITES wildlife,importing leopard or elephant trophies, whathappens at a CoP meeting, the process for becomingan observer at a CoP, and a summary of the U.S. plantrescue centre programme for confiscated livespecimens of CITES-listed plants.

Before the Internet, we provided our fact-sheets, andother CITES-related documents that we haddeveloped, to the public upon request. However, withthe establishment of our CITES website in the early1990s, we also made them available on online(currently at: http://www.fws.gov/international/cites/cites.html). We provide additional informationon our CITES website to help the public understandthe Convention. For example, we have posted thetext of the Convention, lists of the CITES Partiesmember countries and non-Parties, lists of U.S.designated ports for the import, export, and re-exportof CITES-listed wild fauna and flora, recent FederalRegister notices related to CITES issues, recent U.S.CITES biennial reports, and recent reports that theUnited States has prepared for the CITES StandingCommittee, technical committees, or workinggroups. We also provide links on our website tospecific pages on the CITES Secretariat’s website,such as the CITES Appendices, CITES speciesdatabase, and directory of CITES Management,Scientific and Enforcement Authority contacts inParties and equivalent contacts in non-Parties.

In the past three years we have developed severaltaxa-specific Web pages designed to help the public,and more specifically those who trade in these taxa,understand CITES requirements related to thespecific taxa. The new pages include one on CITEStimber species; one on American ginseng; one onthe queen conch (Strombus gigas); and one onAppendix-III species, with an emphasis on trade inthe alligator snapping turtles (Macrodemys temminckii)and the map turtle (Graptemys spp.), which were listedin Appendix III on 14 June 2006 at the request ofthe United States. We also have a page devoted topreparations for the forthcoming 14th meeting ofthe CoP.

Finally, in addition to our CITES website,we have a separate U.S. permits website (athttp://www.fws.gov/permits), which includesinformation on wild fauna and flora permits,including CITES permits. This page is designed toprovide potential permit applicants with easy-to-understand information to help lead them throughthe variety of U.S. permit application processes underthe various U.S. laws regulating wildlife.

Public involvement in the U.S. process ofpreparing for CITES CoPs

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service established aprocess in the late 1970s to involve the public in U.S.preparations for participating in CoPs. This processis initiated through published notices in the FederalRegister, a daily Federal publication for rules,proposed rules, and notices of U.S. Governmentagencies and organizations. Approximately16 months before a given CoP, we publish a notice inthe Federal Register soliciting recommendations fromthe public on species proposals, resolutions, decisionsand other agenda items that the United States shouldconsider submitting for the CoP. Through a series ofadditional Federal Register notices leading up to theCoP, and the holding of one to two public meetings,we inform the public of the agenda of the CoP,provide information on how to attend as an observer,and give the public the opportunity to comment onproposed U.S. negotiating positions on the issues tobe discussed at the CoP.

We have received much positive feedback from thepublic regarding the information provided on ourCITES website, as well as the process for publicparticipation in U.S. CoP preparations. We areconstantly working to update and improve ourwebsite, and plan to add a page in the near future onCITES medicinal plants.

Mark AlbertU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceDivision of Management AuthorityU.S. CITES Management Authority


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CITES public information inNew Zealand

Shortly after New Zealand became a Party to CITESin 1989, its CITES Management Authority, theDepartment of Conservation, produced a series ofbrochures and fact-sheets to raise awareness of CITESamong travellers to and from New Zealand. The firstbrochure thus produced was entitled ‘Going shoppingoverseas? Don’t buy trouble!’. It explained CITESand outlined a list of items which shoppers might betempted to buy but which required permits beforethey could be brought back to the country. Thisbrochure was distributed to major travel agents inNew Zealand with a request that it be included withall air tickets to foreign destinations that they issued,and this proved to be an effective publicity aid forNew Zealand residents travelling out of the country.However, the increasing number of travellers bookingforeign travel directly over the Internet and the useof electronic tickets, plus the cost of updating andreprinting the brochure, have made this form ofpublicity less effective. Therefore other ways ofpublicizing CITES to the general public are beingevaluated. One of the Management Authority’sobjectives is to lower the percentage of New Zealandresidents from whom undocumented CITESspecimens are seized, and seizure data from the pastfour years have shown that efforts made by the CITESauthorities have borne fruit.

In 2002 New Zealand launched a campaign named‘Saving paradise’ in conjunction with the PacificCommunications Bureau. This campaign comprisedbrochures and posters stressing that the procedure toobtain a CITES permit is not complicated. Aroundthe same time, in collaboration with the ChineseConservation Education Trust, the Department ofConservation produced specifically for the growingChinese community a brochure on trade in traditionalChinese medicines containing plants and animalsincluded in the CITES Appendices. Indeed researchconducted in Auckland, where the country’s largestinternational airport is located, showed thatspecimens of CITES-listed species were often seizedfrom members of the Chinese community. A seriesof meetings designed for both Cantonese- andMandarin-speakers were therefore held withrepresentatives of these communities, and publicityin the form of posters, brochures and informationleaflets in Chinese and English was produced forthem, one particular target group being overseasrelatives visiting family members living in New

Zealand. Interviews were also given on communityradio stations and this information campaign appearsto be successful.

After the success of these two campaigns, theConservation Department’s office in Aucklandextended its efforts to raise public awareness to thegeneral public and did this by way of a series of fact-sheets on the following species or products: Americanginseng, birds, crocodiles and alligators, ivory, cactiand rainsticks, sturgeons, molluscs, coral, insects,and turtles and tortoises. These were chosen owingto the large number of seizures of products derivedfrom them or containing derivatives thereof. Thiscampaign has proven to be very successful and thefact-sheets have been reprinted many times, besidesbeing made available on the ConservationDepartment’s website in 2004.

Other efforts to raise awareness of CITES issues haveincluded active participation in cultural events suchas the annual Pasifika, the Chinese New Yearcelebrations, and involvement in conservation eventsat zoos, pet expos, plant shows and other similarevents. It must be pointed out that working closelywith border agencies (the Customs Service and theMinistry of Agriculture and Forestry) has led tocombined efforts and attendance of all agencies atspecific public events. Finally CITES displays havealso been set up at all the major international airportsas well as at some of the smaller airports that handlea limited number of international flights.

Nonetheless the growing number of tourists visitingNew Zealand from increasingly diverse places iscontinuing to keep border control officers and CITESofficers busy with CITES items imported into thecountry without the proper documents.

Ms Jane Denton and Mr Wilbur DoveyCITES Management Authority of New Zealand


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By the end of 2002 the printed material wasdistributed to 650 of the Slovene primary andsecondary schools. The material was also madeavailable at all border Customs offices and touristoffices, while bookshops and libraries also greatlyparticipated in its distribution. According to anindependent study, approximately 40 % of thecountry’s population was covered by this firstdistribution of publicity material in 2002. In 2004the material was re-printed and re-distributed.

Permanent display windows have been set up in thedeparture hall of the Ljubljana – Brnik internationalairport to warn travellers to be cautious when buyingproducts made of plant and animal species. Leafletsand luggage labels with contacts and basicinformation on CITES are available to passengers.The Management Authority also carries out regularexhibitions on trade in endangered species and CITESat the international tourist fair Alpe Adria in Ljubljanaand at the fair Student arena, which is the largestexhibition dedicated to students and youth inSlovenia.

Beside informing the public by publications andexhibitions, the Slovene Management Authorityorganizes regular press conferences, which arefollowed by articles in all the main nationalnewspapers and broadcasts on the public and privatetelevision channels and radio stations. In addition,thematic press conferences are prepared incooperation with the Customs Administration toinform the public on the outcome of training seminarsand results of Customs controls. Thematic radiobroadcasts are prepared after each meeting of theConference of the Parties to CITES and on specialoccasions or events such as the 30th anniversary ofCITES.

Explaining CITES to thepublic in Slovenia

Since CITES entered into force in Slovenia in April2000, public information and awareness rising havebeen among the most important tasks of theManagement Authority.

In 2002 Slovenia initiated an extensive publicinformation campaign. The aim of this campaign wasto inform the widest public possible about trade inendangered wild fauna and flora and CITES. Variouspublicity materials targeted at different interest groupswere published. The material included bookmarks,leaflets, luggage labels, several posters and a compre-hensive 160-page manual for the training of autho-rities responsible for the implementation and enforce-ment of the Convention. Publicity material was prin-ted in large quantities in Slovene and English.

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The Management Authority prepares regular exhibitionson CITES and trade in endangered species

at the international tourist fair in Ljubljana

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After every training seminar for Customs, the SloveneManagement Authority gives a press conference

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national legislative provisions related to trade inendangered animal and plant species and on thestricter domestic measures. The report also includesseveral examples of international cooperation in theenforcement of the Convention, as well as infor-mation on training, data processing and publicinformation. Data on seizures and confiscations andannual reports on trade in specimens of CITESspecies for the period 2000 to 2004 are provided inthe annex to this report. The CD-ROM gives detailedinformation on authorities and persons responsiblefor CITES implementation in Slovenia; a section onlegislation that includes the text of the Convention,European Union wildlife trade regulations and therelevant national legislation; all publications issuedin Slovenia until now; and a section on computerapplications on permitting and animal marking. Allsections provide links to the websites of the CITESSecretariat and the European Commission.Information provided on this CD-ROM will soon beavailable on the Slovene Management Authority’swebsite.

Basic information on CITES and its implementationin Slovenia is available on the EnvironmentalAgency’s website at: http://www.gov.si/uvn/slo/index.html and on the website of the Institute forNature Conservation at: http://www.zrsvn.org.

All publications and the CD-ROM are available inEnglish. To obtain additional information or copiesof publications, please contact the ManagementAuthority of Slovenia at: [email protected].

Robert BolješicMinistry of the Environmentand Spatial Planning

A representative of the Slovene ManagementAuthority regularly gives lectures to students of theMaster’s course programme ‘Management, Access,Conservation and Trade of Species: the InternationalFramework’ at the International University ofAndalusia and of the post-graduate programme‘Nature heritage protection’ at the University ofLjubljana. Lectures at schools and nationalinstitutions such as the Botanical Garden and NaturalHistory Museum are also part of the ManagementAuthority’s public information activities. Severalgraduate theses on CITES have been submitted at theBiotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljanaand at the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Securityof the University of Maribor.

The most recent (2006) productions of the SloveneManagement Authority are a four-year report and aCD-ROM on the implementation of CITES inSlovenia. The report presents the legislative, admi-nistrative and other measures in place for theimplementation of CITES from its entry into forceto the full membership of Slovenia in the EuropeanUnion on 1 May 2004. The report provides infor-mation on the competencies of authorities andcontact details of persons responsible for CITESimplementation and control. It gives a summary of

A four-year report anda CD-ROM on the implementation

of CITES in Slovenia arethe latest productions of

the Slovene Management Authority

Various publicity materials issued by the Slovene

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CITES and public awareness:Australia’s strategy

The Australian Government invests significantresources in public awareness activities onbiodiversity protection and wildlife trade.Fortunately, most Australians are very conscious ofthe need to protect their unique native flora and fauna,and tend to support these efforts to regulate trade.

As with any campaign to raise public support, alonglead time to gain sufficient awareness is requiredto have a collective impact. The long-term strategyto raise the profile of wildlife trade issues with thegeneral public entails, among other approaches, theloan of seized specimens to educational institutionssuch as zoos and museums, issuing press releaseswhen convictions for wildlife smuggling occur, andpresentations to school children. This approachengenders a growing appreciation of the need tomanage trade in wild species at an international level.

While the support of the general public is important,it is crucial to identify specific interest groups whoare affected by wildlife trade issues, and target com-munication resources towards them. Each year a the-matic approach is adopted with the aim of reducingthe proportion of the wildlife product seizures in Aus-tralia. This year, outbound passengers were targetedwith the distribution of Tips for Travellers brochuresand Wildlife Trade luggage tags, and advertisementsin international airports and inflight magazines.

New appetite suppressants containing the succulentHoodia gordonii currently account for a large share ofwildlife seizures. Typically, Australians order theproduct over the Internet from overseas supplierswho do not inform them of permitting requirements,and, as a consequence, the product is seized on entryto Australia. As Hoodia suppliers come to the attentionof the Australian Department of the Environmentand Heritage, suppliers are contacted and Australia’spermitting requirements are explained. As part of anongoing education campaign, a Hoodia fact-sheet hasbeen produced.

Traditional Chinese medicines containing ingredientssuch as bear bile, orchid species and tiger bone areroutinely seized on entry to Australia. To reduce thenumber of products imported illegally, aninformation booklet, Wildlife conservation andcomplementary medicines, written in both English andChinese, has been distributed to international

travellers and Australia’s peak associationrepresenting Chinese medicine retailers andpractitioners. Being a major, and growing, proportionof seized goods, traditional medicines will betargeted during the next financial year.

Other stakeholder-targeted activities have includedinformation stalls at trade fairs such as seashell showsand exotic bird shows, the establishment of anindustry advisory group for exotic birds, andeditorials and advertisements provided to specialinterest journals, such as hunters and fashionimporters.

The Department of Environment and Heritagewebsite (www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/trade-use/index.html) provides general information on CITES,and information specific to both industry andindividuals regarding wildlife trade requirements. Tosimplify the information, a series of fact-sheets areavailable that provide information specific to speciescommonly in trade such as kangaroos, crocodiles,hunting trophies and elephant ivory.

Australia produces fact-sheets providing

easy-to-followinformation specific to species commonly

in trade

The Wildlife conservationand complementary

medicines booklet providesinformation in both

English and Chinese. Itlists several ingredients

commonly found intraditional Chinese

medicines that are subjectto CITES regulations

Attractive luggage tagsdistributed to travellers through

travel vaccination centres


12

The guidebook of £odz Zoo (Poland) provides on page 1information on CITES and CITES listing and shows the CITES

logo for each of the 55 listed species in the collection anddescribed in the guidebook

Photo: E

wa Szkudlarek, £odz Z

oo

Zoos promoting CITES

Zoos and aquariums have in their custody a largenumber of animals belonging to species that arethreatened in the wild, and they operate joint breedingprogrammes for these species. There are 182International (global) Studbooks kept under theWAZA umbrella, and an even larger number of taxaare managed at the regional level. In total there areabout 800 regional breeding programmes orstudbooks. In future the number of inter-regional orglobal breeding programmes, which are managedunder the auspices of WAZA, may still increase. Asall these joint conservation breeding programmesentail the frequent movements of specimens acrossborders, the member institutions of the WAZANetwork have a great interest in the good functioningof CITES.

This interest is, however, not only based on the needto be able to shift animals between member ins-titutions in different countries, but also on the desirenot to be too frequently obliged to take care, on behalfof a management authority, of seized or confiscatedanimals. While zoos and aquariums are usually pre-pared to help out, their capacity is limited, and theyare rarely in a position to house permanently confis-cated animals that do not fit into their collection plans.

Modern zoos and aquariums see themselves as havingfour main tasks:

• Recreation• Education• Research• Conservation

The new World Zoo and Aquarium ConservationStrategy WAZA, launched in 2005, not onlystipulates that conservation must be considered thepriority task, but also calls for a holistic approach,noting that only zoos, aquariums and botanic gardenscan operate across the whole spectrum ofconservation activities, from ex situ breeding ofthreatened species, research, public education,training, influencing and advocacy, to in situ supportof species and their habitats.

WAZA currently has 220 member institutions.Another 1,000 odd institutions are brought intothe wider WAZA Network by the 23 affiliatedregional or national zoo and aquarium associations.Altogether these 1,220 institutions welcome morethan 600 million visitors every year. Thisconstitutes a huge ‘captive audience’ that cannotonly receive basic biological information, but canalso be made aware of conservation issues, inparticular factors that threaten the continuedexistence of wildlife species. For the reasons givenabove, illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade is aprominent topic in this context.

The Australian Customs Service acts on behalf ofthe Department, seizing wildlife products at theborder if they suspect the specimens have beenimported or exported in breach of Australian wildlifelaws. The Department provides regular trainingsessions for new recruits and refresher programmesfor experienced Customs officers.

In the future, it is hoped that communication willtarget Australian magistrates and judges to increasetheir awareness of the significance and consequencesof illegal wildlife trade.

Australia is always keen to learn of other Parties’initiatives to raise public awareness of the potentialharmful impact of unregulated wildlife trade. If youare interested in receiving a copy of any of the printedproducts used by Australia or have material to share,please email: [email protected].

Liz FergusonCITES Management Authority of Australia


13

Cologne Zoo recom-mends visitors to insist,before the purchase of a

pet bird, on thepresentation of proofsof origin, to limit anypurchase to specimens

bred in Germany, and toconsult the local

conservation authoritiesif in doubt

Taman Safari at Prigen (Indonesia), appeals to its visitors to stop trade in tiger specimens

Photo: P

eter Dollinger

There are various ways and means for zoos andaquariums to inform the public about CITES:

• Reference to the CITES status of species canbe made as part of the information providedin the standard enclosure signage, guidebooksor websites.

• Posters or small displays in the context of aspecific exhibit that may either mentionCITES directly, or advise visitors not to tradein or purchase specimens considered to beproblematic from a conservation or animalwelfare point of view.

• Organization of a specific exhibit on CITES.Most zoos have facilities for temporaryexhibits available which may be used for thepurpose of raising awareness about CITESissues.

The actions described so far refer to individualinstitutions. Zoo and aquarium associations have,however, begun to group the efforts of their membersby organizing conservation campaigns at the nationalor regional level. In particular, the EuropeanAssociation of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) is runningannual campaigns. Most of these campaigns put theemphasis on illegal and unsustainable trade:

• The Bushmeat Campaign (2000-2001)involved a petition with demands directed toAfrican and European leaders, which wassigned by 1.9 million zoo visitors.

• The Tiger Campaign (2002-2003) included asignificant fundraising part resulting in thecollection of almost EUR 700,000 for selectedtiger conservation projects.

• One of the missions of the ShellshockCampaign (2004-2005) was to raise awarenessof the conservation and welfare crisis that theworld’s turtles and tortoises currently face.

• ‘Save the Rhinos’, the EAZA Rhino Campaign(2005-2006), focussing on a group of CITES-listed species that are threatened primarily byillegal trade, was officially launched inSeptember 2005 and is still ongoing.

Finally, WAZA itself also makes efforts to promoteCITES: a virtual zoo was opened in May 2006 on theWAZA website (www.waza.org).This zoo displaysclose to 300 species, providing texts, photos,distribution maps and links to other Web resources.The CITES status is given for each of the species andthe reference to the CITES Appendix is linked to theCITES website.

Peter DollingerExecutive Director of WAZAThe World Association of Zoos and Aquariums

CITES exhibit“Køb ikke deres liv”

(Don’t buy their lives) at Aalborg Zoo, Denmark

Pho

to: P

eter

Dol

linge

r

Photo: P

eter Dollinger


14

Ten popular misconceptionsabout CITES

1. CITES deals with all aspects of wildlifeconservation. CITES deals only with internationaltrade in the species included in its Appendices.While wider conservation issues have animportant influence on CITES decisions andactions, the scope of the Convention relates to theregulation of international trade in listed species.

2. CITES aims to ban all wildlife trade. CITESaims to regulate international trade in species listedin the Appendices. It does not aim to stop allwildlife trade. However, for some species trade ishighly restricted or subject to specific conditions,and in some cases the Parties can recommend atemporary suspension of trade.

3. CITES regulates domestic trade. The provisionsof CITES apply to international trade, andtherefore CITES cannot be used as a means toregulate domestic trade. Nevertheless, Parties haverecognized the link between unregulated domestictrade and illegal CITES trade, and have encouragedParties to ensure that they regulate their domestictrade adequately as a means to assist with theregulation of international trade.

4. The CITES Appendices are a listing of theworld’s endangered species. The Appendices onlylist species that are or may be affected byinternational trade. There are many reasons whya species may be considered vulnerable orthreatened with extinction. One possible reasonis over-exploitation for international trade butother threats include habitat loss, environmentaldegradation, or unsustainable exploitation fordomestic use. CITES is a mechanism forinternational cooperation between exporting andimporting States, which is why CITES is notrelevant to species that are not internationallytraded or not likely to become so, or are affectedby problems that occur entirely within the bordersof a State. This is not a flaw of the Convention,only a reflection of its well-defined purpose andregulatory mechanisms. Other conventions,agreements and national laws address these otherthreats.

5. CITES is a mechanism to impose traderestrictions on developing countries. It is a factthat both producer and consumer countries have

responsibility for conserving and managingresources, and CITES creates the means forinternational cooperation and decision-making forthe conservation and management of wildresources in international trade.

6. The CITES Secretariat issues permits toauthorize trade in CITES specimens. Permits andcertificates necessary to authorize trade inaccordance with CITES provisions may only beissued by a national Management Authoritycompetent to grant permits or certificates onbehalf of the Party it represents.

7. CITES offices are administered by the CITESSecretariat, and the Secretariat has enforcementpowers. The Secretariat has no jurisdiction overany CITES authority. CITES authorities areestablished by national governments, and aresubject to the policy and administrativerequirements of each State. The Secretariat canadvise CITES authorities on the basis of agreedinterpretation of the Convention and itsprovisions, but it has no authority whatsoever oneach authority’s operations.

The CITES Secretariat does not have anyenforcement powers and cannot decide, or imposea course of action, on CITES cases underconsideration by Parties. It is widely believed thatthe Secretariat decides on matters such as thedisposal of confiscated specimens, but it cannotdo so. Enforcement of the Convention is aresponsibility of the member States, though theSecretariat can provide assistance to enforcementefforts through the provision of information or byfacilitating the exchange of information.

8. All souvenirs made from wildlife are bannedfrom trade. The Convention regulates trade intourist souvenirs made from CITES-listed species,and in some cases allows for an exemption fromCITES provisions for such items. However manyParties apply stricter domestic measures toregulate their trade.

9. All elephant and crocodile products are bannedfrom trade. This misperception is in part due tothe prevalence of such items in public displays ofseized or forbidden items. Specific African ele-phant products from certain range States may betraded for commercial and non-commercialpurposes, subject to the restrictions and conditionsfound in the listing of Loxodonta africana in theAppendices of the Convention. As for the trade incrocodilian skin products from wild, ranched and


15

Understanding CITES

From the Secretary-General

This issue of CITES World describes many effortsmade by Parties to explain the Convention to thegeneral public and dispel the many misunder-standings that exist.

It could be so simple: CITES should ensure that,where there is trade in wild animals and plants, ittakes place legally and sustainably. For species wherethe latter is not currently possible, commercial tradeis not allowed. For species that may be at risk, a non-detriment finding is necessary before an export permitis issued. Export permits for all listed species arechecked by importing countries to ensure that theshipment takes place legally.

But then there are so many exemptions, either in thetext of the Convention itself, or created throughResolutions, that even people who work on a dailybasis with CITES sometimes get confused. I havehad to write down things in my own way over the last27 years to keep track of all provisions. This has ledto The Evolution of CITES, the latest edition of whichis available as an e-book on the CITES website.

The fact that the practical implementation of theConvention differs from country to country, as a re-sult of stricter domestic measures or just differentnational rules, is not very helpful either.

Brochures with information for the general public cannever explain the totality of the Convention, whyexactly species are listed or not listed, all the differencesbetween Appendix I and II, or the provisions applyingto personal effects. One way to solve this would be tomake things a lot simpler and to get rid of unnecessarilycomplicated rules and provisions, where they do notcontribute significantly to conservation. One such caseis what is and is not possible under the personal andhousehold effects exemption. The Standing Committeeagreed a long time ago that the only solution to theimplementation difficulties would be to amend theConvention. I agree, but I also think that things wouldalready be a lot easier if the public realized that livespecimens are not exempted from CITES provisions,that taking specimens of Appendix-I species home isnot allowed, but that there is no problem where non-commercial quantities of Appendix-II species areconcerned. All it would take would be for Parties toagree that, in accordance with Article VII,paragraph 3. (b) iii), they do not require export permitsfor Appendix-II personal effects and tourist souvenirs,thus allowing them to concentrate all their efforts inthis area on preventing tourist souvenirs ofAppendix-I species leaving their territories.

Back to brochures, these make things sometimes evenmore confusing. They are often so general that peoplebelieve that all trade in specimens such as parrots,crocodile handbags or ivory jewelry is prohibited.To explain why that is not the case and in which casestrade is allowed takes a lot of effort, which goes wellbeyond the bit of text that a brochure can contain.

The importance of a clear understanding by thegeneral public of what is allowed and what is not ishowever evident. The bulk of wildlife products endsup on the consumer market and people need to realizewhat they may or may not buy.

Unfortunately, most of the information addressed tothe general public concerns tourist souvenirs ratherthan commercially available wildlife products in theircountries.

I hope this edition of CITES World contributes to abetter understanding of the information needs of thegeneral public, i.e. the consumers, and to increasedefforts to provide that information.

Willem Wijnstekers

captive-bred sources, it is regulated and hascontributed positively towards the conservation,management and restoration of populations ofmost crocodilian species.

10. All wildlife trade poses a threat to species.Wildlife trade is not necessarily a threat to thesurvival of species. Over 95 % of the global tradein CITES specimens involves species which arenot threatened with extinction and which may betraded internationally for commercial purposes.This trade is subject to regulation and monitoring,and aims to avoid use that is incompatible withthe survival of the species concerned. In addition,Parties recognize that the sustainable use of wildfauna and flora, whether consumptive or non-con-sumptive, provides an economically competitiveland-use option which can bring positive benefits,such as providing incentives for supporting theconservation and management of wild species,containing the illegal trade and meeting human needs.

The Secretariat


16

CITES SecretariatInternational Environment House

Chemin des AnémonesCH-1219 Châtelaine, Geneva

Switzerland

Telephone: +41 (22) 917 81 39/40 Fax number: +41 (22) 797 34 17Email: [email protected] Website: htpp://www.cites.org

If you would like to submit an article, or make suggestions or comments, please contactthe Capacity-Building Unit.

Although every attempt is made to ensure the accuracy of the articles, the opinions expressed are those of the individual authors. Thedesignations of geographic entities do not imply the expression of an opinion from the CITES Secretariat concerning the legal status of

any country, territory, or area, or of its frontiers and borders.

Secretary-General’s Certificateof Commendation

In 2002, the Secretariat advised the Parties of theintroduction of certificates of commendation thatwould be issued, at the Secretary-General’sdiscretion, to recognize exemplary enforcementactions. The fourth such certificate was awarded bythe Secretary-General on 23 March 2006 to the Royal

CITES explained in one paragraph:

CITES is a treaty between member States for preventing over-exploitation of wild fauna andflora for international trade. Supported by national legislation, trade in species listed in thethree CITES Appendices must conform to CITES requirements and provisions outlined inthe text of the Convention. Implementation of CITES is guided by Resolutions of theConference of the Parties. Permits and certificates follow a standardized format. These areissued by competent authorities when certain conditions are met in the exporting country orin both the exporting and importing countries. These conditions vary according to the Appendixin which species are listed, and focus on purpose of trade, conservation impact (determinedby a scientific authority), legal acquisition and, where relevant, humane treatment concerns.Permits and certificates are endorsed (usually by Customs) upon exit, and presented (usuallyto Customs) on entry. Data collected from permits and certificates contribute to a body ofinformation that allows Parties to follow international trade trends and to adapt national andinternational conservation and trade policies as necessary.

The Secretariat

Chitwan National Park Authority and the RoyalNepalese Army. The certificate was awarded inrecognition of their combined efforts to combat thepoaching of and illegal trade in endangered species,especially leopard, rhinoceros and tiger. During 2004and 2005, officers of the Authority and Army arrestedover 30 persons engaged in illegal activities, many ofwhom were subsequently sentenced to periods ofimprisonment. Their enforcement activities also ledto the seizure of rhinoceros horns, tiger skins, andtiger and leopard bones, and to the confiscation ofmoney obtained through illegal activities, as well asvehicles, weapons and ammunition.

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