CITES Update (1997 Changes)
BY LAURELLA DESBOROUGH
Copyright Laurella Desbrough (eclectusbreeder.com).
All rights reserved by the author.
More commonly known as CITES,
the Conference on International
Trade in Endangered Species held
the 10th Conference of the
Parties to CITES (COP10) June 9
through 20 in Harare, Zimbabwe,
in Africa. The regular meeting
discussed the proposed listing
of species of fauna and flora on
the CITES Appendices, and made
resolutions and decisions
regarding the trade and
transportation of live species
and products made from live
species (hides, skins, horns,
etc.). A draft of decisions and
resolutions has been published
and is presented here. When the
final version will be published
by the CITES Secretariat, there
may be some additions or changes
to be noted. This information on
COP10 is prepared from the
publications on CITES issued by
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and from personal
communication with conference
attendees.
Much of the work of CITES is
done at the regularly scheduled
meetings of various CITES
committees that are held twice a
year in the interim between the
major CITES conferences, which
meet every two to three years.
For instance, the Animals
Committee reviewed the
definitions of "commercial
purposes" and
"bred-in-captivity." These
definitions are important
because they form the basis upon
which countries decide that
specific animals, including
birds, may or may not be legally
exported and imported. The only
organization representing the
interests of aviculture, the
American Federation of
Aviculture (AFA) sent a
representative to the Animals
Committee meetings and presented
documents that detailed the
concerns of aviculturists
regarding these definitions. The
work of the committees is then
presented to the CITES delegates
at their conference in the form
of proposed resolutions and
documentation supporting those
proposals.
In addition to the delegates who
attend the CITES meetings, NGOs
(representatives from
nongovernment organizations)
also attend but cannot vote on
proposals or resolutions. NGOs
include humane organizations
such as the Humane Society of
the United States; animal rights
organizations, such as the
Environmental Investigation
Agency; representatives of the
many and varied user groups
(those who use animals or their
parts for any purpose), such as
the Safari Club, which conduct
photo ad trophy-hunts; the
alligator and turtle farmers;
importers of exotic fish; the
whaling associations; and
zoological organizations. (Those
who import exotic birds for any
purpose are all considered
users.) NGOs also include
conservation entities, such as
the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN),
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and
T.R.A.F.F.I.C., which gathers
data on the international trade
in animals.
There are two basic approaches
to the use of wildlife: nonuse
or sustainable use. Nonuse for
any purpose is the stance of
some government agencies,
conservative conservation groups
and animal rights groups.
Sustainable use, which is
limited and monitored use, is
based on the numbers in the
populations of animals and their
situations in their
environments. Sustainable use is
the stance of most user groups,
some conservation groups,
delegates representing sane
nations, depending on the
species in question and the
available scientific data. At
COP10, sustainable use of
wildlife resources was the
concept most followed.
Draft Results of Species
Proposals for avian species at
CITES COP10 are as follows.
Species most commonly of
interest to aviculturists are
noted thusly (*).
Order
Galliformes: Helmeted curassow (Pauxi
pauxi); proposed to include in
Appendix II by the Netherlands;
proposal withdrawn.
Order
Galliformes: Horned curassow (P.
unicornis); proposed to include
on Appendix II by the
Netherlands; proposal withdrawn.
Order
Gruiformes: Black-breasted
buttonquail (Turnix melanogaster);
proposed for deletion from
Appendix II by Australia;
proposal adopted.
Order
Charadriiformes: Plains wanderer
(Pedionomus torquatus); proposed
for deletion from Appendix II by
Australia; proposal adopted.
Order
Gruiformes: Eastern weka rail (Gallirallus
asutralis ectoti); proposed for
deletion from Appendix II by New
Zealand; proposal adopted.
Order
Psittaciformes: Black-billed
parrot (Amazona agilis);
proposed for transfer from
Appendix II to I by Germany;
proposal withdrawn.
Order
Psittaciformes: Green-cheeked
Amazon (Amazona viridigenalis);
proposed for transfer from
Appendix II to I by Mexico, the
U.S. and Germany; proposal
adopted. (This bird originates
from Mexico.)
Order
Psittaciformes: Lesser
sulphur-crested cockatoo
(Cacatua sulphurea); proposed
for transfer from Appendix II to
I by Germany; proposal
withdrawn.
Order
Psittaciformes: Ouvea horned
parakeet (Eunymphicus cornutus
uvaeensis); proposed for
transfer from Appendix II to I
by Germany; proposal withdrawn.
Order
Psittaciformes: Kuhl's lorikeet
(Vini kuhlii); proposed for
transfer from Appendix II to I
by Germany; proposal rejected.
Order
Psittaciformes: Tahitian
lorikeet (V. peruviana);
proposed for transfer from
Appendix II to I by Germany;
proposal rejected.
Order
Psittaciformes: Ultramarine
lorikeet (V. ultramarina);
proposed for transfer from
Appendix II to I by Germany;
proposal adopted.
Order
Coraciiformes: Writhe-billed
hornbill (Aceros waldeni);
proposed for transfer from
Appendix II to I by Germany;
proposal withdrawn.
Order
Passeriformes: Straw-headed
bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus);
proposed for inclusion in
Appendix II by Netherlands and
the U.S.; proposal adopted.
Order
Passeriformes: Silver-eared
mesia (Leiothrix argentauris);
proposed for inclusion on
Appendix II by the Netherlands;
proposal adopted.
Order
Passeriformes: Pekin robin (L.
lutea); proposed for inclusion
in Appendix II by the
Netherlands; proposal adopted.
Order
Passeriformes: Grey-faced
liocichla (Liocichla omeiensis);
proposed for inclusion in
Appendix II by the Netherlands;
proposal adopted.
Order
Passeriformes: Seven-colored
tanager (Tangara fastuosa);
proposed for inclusion in
Appendix II by Germany and the
Netherlands; proposal adopted.
Order
Passeriformes: Java sparrow (Padda
oryzivora); proposed for
inclusion in Appendix II by the
Netherlands; proposal adopted.
Order
Passeriformes: Green avadat (Amandava
formosa); proposed for inclusion
in II by the Netherlands;
proposal adopted.
Order
Passeriformes: Hill mynah (Gracula
religiosa); proposed for
inclusion in Appendix II by the
Netherlands and the Philippines;
proposal adopted.
Order
Galliformes: Helmeted curassow (Pauxi
pauxi); proposed to include in
Appendix II by the Netherlands;
proposal withdrawn.
