Posts Tagged "CITES 2010"

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
CITES 2010 – Doha
Press release n°5

Bluefin tuna will not be listed in the CITES appendices, not in appendix 1, not in appendix 2, not in anything at all. Monaco’s proposal was sunk in less than 3 hours following a flurry of objections and the agitated speech of Libya, which asked for the premature closure to the debates while waving a threatening finger at the assembly. The amendments that Spain, on behalf of the member countries of the European Community, had the time to present will not suffice, perhaps even to the contrary. Raising procedural questions, the amendments have had the ability since several days ago to put a number of parties on edge, by highlighting that the European Union is ill-placed to pose as a protector of tuna, when it was so late in promoting serious measures within the specialized convention, ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas). Several speakers argued that while rich countries could compensate their fishermen and pay for exit plans for their fleets, this was not the case for developing countries.

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…

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.”

This morning, the 15th Conference of States at CITES decided by consensus to approve the Brazilian proposal to list Brazilian rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora) in Appendix 2. The international trade in rosewood essential oil will be controlled from now in importing and exporting countries. The listing makes a provision for the exclusion of finished products, packaged and ready for sale. Ladies, you do not need a CITES permit to travel with your No5.

Brazilian rosewood is also called pau rosa, its Brazilian name, to avoid confusion with other species from around the world which are also named rosewood because of their color. Pau rosa is exclusively present in the Amazon basin, principally in Brazil and French Guiana. Some populations were counted in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. As the Brazilian proposal emphasizes, the growth of this tree is slow while its exploitation is rapid. The harvesting surpasses its capacities for natural re-growth. All the countries in the region supported Brazil, as well as Mexico and Costa Rica on behalf of 25 Central American and Caribbean countries. Those which were against it didn’t so much as lift a finger.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
CITES 2010 – Doha
Press release n°2

News in brief:

For a French ecologist who is accustomed to hydrocarbon and Volatile Organic Compounds odours, depending on Doha weather conditions, resembles both Fos-sur-Mer and Le Havre. The city is often covered by a smog of Arabian light oil and from the CITES conference centre, super-tankers can be seen crossing dhows made out of mangrove forest wood. The Israeli delegates are protected under tight security measures. That CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in spite of diplomatic embargos permits for Israeli scientists and Arab countries to try to insure the survival of the ornate spiny-tailed lizard by listing it under appendix I is to the credit of the convention. Its range state residual intersects Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen and Israel. In Doha, WWF and the Union European are global warming sceptics; they refuse the inclusion of the Polar Bear to appendix I.