Polar Bears Betrayed by the European Union
In Doha, Qatar in 2010, Europe played a deciding role in the rejection of the American proposal to add Ursus maritimus to Appendix I. Because Europe voted against it, the proposal failed.
In Bangkok, three years later, the E.U. tries again to block the U.S. proposal. Instead of supporting the U.S. proposal, like Russia, the E.U. proposes keeping the polar bear under Appendix II, which authorises the international trade of polar bears and their parts. This compromise suggested by the E.U. is actually more like the status quo. The E.U. presented its proposal several requirements already expressed by specialists, environmental NGOs and certain range states, claiming it would be best to first understand the state of sub-populations, investigate smuggling networks, and to evaluate the effects of the capture and the hunting of the species.
CITES: Over 40 years old and long in the tooth
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
CITES 2013 – Bangkok
At its signature 40 years ago, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, was visionary; a fact highlighted by speeches at Bangkok during the opening of its 16 plenary session. Today, it’s falling behind. CITES is disconnected from chemical and radioactive contamination of wildlife, climate change, political chaos and population changes that increase the speed of the extinction of biodiversity.
Is Coca Cola in favour of Polar Bear trade ?
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
The Coca-Cola Company
One Coca-Cola Plaza
Atlanta, Georgia 30313
Dear Mr. Chairman Kent,
Robin des Bois is an NGO working for the protection of Man and Environment, based in Paris and has been an observer at CITES, (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) since 1988. Fear not, we are not asking for money, we are simply writing to you today with the hope of receiving a response.
We are well aware of the deep-seeded affection your company expresses for polar bears and your interest in their future. With this in mind Coca Cola has established a scientific and economic partnership with WWF. This partnership has raised millions of dollars with the goal of reinforcing efforts towards the protection of polar bears.
A Dark Future for Polar Bears
The hunting of polar bears is now in full force. The Canadian tourist agencies responsible for organizing hunting trips in Nunavut, the North West Territories, and in Manitoba are completely booked until 2014. In order to respond to such high demand, Nunavut increased the hunting quotas in the Hudson Bay area, without taking into account the disapproval of the Polar Bear Specialist Group from the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature). Instead of the elephant, the polar bear is now the « ultimate target ». The polar bear finds itself in the challenge of the century, at the summit of the world. « For our European Clients, we recommend at least the caliber 8 x 57mm, but the best is 9.3 x 74mm ». Having reached the top, you can return with the most prestigious of trophies, with some help from the best taxidermists in Canada.
Polar Bears: Left Out in the Cold
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a marine mammal that lives off of the other marine mammals inhabiting the artic ice pack, and the surrounding ice flows and ocean. The polar bear is thus an excellent swimmer. The artic ice pack, home of the polar bear, is disappearing. The vulnerability and mortal risks faced by polar bears are increasing.
The polar bear, beloved by many, has become the martyr employed by governments and NGOs to symbolize the fight against global warming. It has become a fundraising symbol and a top-model.
(Français) 13 associations exhortent la France à s’opposer au commerce international des ours polaires et de leurs parties
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora about to be reborn as the WTO (World Trade Organization)
The 15th conference of the parties of CITES has just ended in Doha. The porbeagle shark was put back on the table following the intervention of Singapore, which believed that there had been technical problems with the first vote. The debates were evaded by a procedural trick and the proposal passed directly to vote. The proposal was rejected by three votes. Iceland, candidate to join the European Union, and Japan, which will host the Conference for Biodiversity next October, in showing the best intentions in the world, warmly hugged each other in the middle of the conference room to congratulate themselves on this failure of Europe and the protectors of sharks. Associations such as the Japan Fisheries Association quickly left to celebrate the result of intense lobbying. Installed to protect endangered species of wild fauna and flora from the excesses of international trade, CITES has progressively become a convention of the protection of trade. The delegate from Guinea summarized yesterday in plenary an analysis of a lot of the participants: “My comment is very bitter; I notice after having carefully listened to the debates that economic considerations dominate the environmental vision.” Decisions on marine species confirmed that the sea is considered by the international community as a reservoir for food, healing and decoration, but when it is time to protect it, it’s almost deserted, just like around Doha.
Madagascar, Dynastes satanas, spiny tailed lizard, Kaiser’s spotted newt, coral
News in brief:
Bluefin tuna: The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas is not opposed to the listing of bluefin tuna in Appendix 2, and Australia has declared itself favorable to the idea; more to follow…
Polar bear: You can continue to purchase polar bear rugs and purses. The proposal of the United States to list it in Appendix 1 was rejected this morning. The European Union, the largest importer, contributed to this rejection. It was joined by Canada, Norway and Iceland. Polar bears, threatened by pollution in the Arctic, oil spills, ecotourism and the retreating ice shelf, are spending more and more time on land to find food; they are therefore more and more exposed to hunting. This icon of global warming was cut down in Qatar due to roadblocks of haggling and inertia. The European Union, as always talkative, “doesn’t want to isolate the case of the polar bear from an ambitious policy against global warming.”
Rosewood tree, African elephant, polar bear and Mariana mallard
The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties of CITES, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora will take place in Doha, Qatar, from the 13th to 25th of March 2010. As with every precedent session since 1989, Robin des Bois will attend.
Currently at CITES there are 175 Parties. Decisions are based on a majority vote of 2/3. Appendix I bans international trade, Appendix II regulates trade and Appendix III is linked to an individual Party decision who asks other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade. Robin des Bois’s summary of the previous CITES session is available on line at the following link (pdf in French).
