{"id":112332,"date":"2025-12-04T13:24:50","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T12:24:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/robindesbois.org\/?p=112332"},"modified":"2026-04-10T14:21:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T13:21:29","slug":"bilan-des-mardi-2-et-mercredi-3-decembre-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/robindesbois.org\/en\/bilan-des-mardi-2-et-mercredi-3-decembre-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Review of Tuesday December 2 and Wednesday December 3, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Press release CITES CoP20 n\u00b010<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fifteen pieces of good news<\/strong><\/p>\n

– South Africa obtained consensus for the transfer of the endemic euphorbia Euphorbia bupleurifolia<\/em> from Appendix II to Appendix I. It is harvested for use in traditional local medicine and to supply the international horticultural market. Traffickers pass off wild plants as cultivated plants, which is much more profitable than waiting for cultivated Euphorbia bupleurifolia<\/em> to become saleable. This species has very slow growth. South Africa has been supported by the European Union, one of the main importers, the United Kingdom, Eswatini, Lesotho, Senegal, Benin, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Monaco, Malaysia and India.<\/p>\n

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Euphorbia bupleurifolia<\/em> \u00a9 Luc Strydom<\/p><\/div>\n

– South Africa obtained consensus for the transfer of the small succulent Avonia quinaria<\/em>, which is very popular on the Internet, from Appendix II to Appendix I. A young plant sells for around 20 \u20ac. The proposal was supported by Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Lesotho, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Namibia, Senegal, Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania, the European Union, Monaco, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Pakistan and India.<\/p>\n

– Ethiopia obtained consensus for the listing of the Bale Mountains adder (Bitis harenna<\/em>) and the Ethiopian Mountain adder (Bitis parviocula<\/em>) in Appendix I. These endemic species have been protected in Ethiopia for 40 years and no exports have been authorised. If you have one at home, it was smuggled in. “It is common practice for reptile collectors to target gravid females in the wild and subsequently offer the young for sale as \u201ccaptive-bred\u201d once they are born in captivity.”
\nThe proposal was supported by New Zealand, Australia, Djibouti, Tunisia, C\u00f4te d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Zimbabwe, the Central African Republic, Iran, Pakistan, Monaco and the United Kingdom. The European Union and Japan would have preferred an Appendix II listing with a zero quota, but they did not oppose the consensus. The United States Association of Reptile Keepers criticised Ethiopia for its lack of knowledge on the subject: “We can provide you with the contact details of breeders in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany, Slovenia and Sweden.” Customs officers would no doubt be delighted to have these addresses.<\/p>\n

– Cameroon, Guinea, Nigeria and Togo obtained consensus for the transfer of Home’s hinge-back tortoise (Kinixys homeana<\/em>) to Appendix I. It is a victim of the bushmeat market, traditional medicine and international trade as a pet. “In Belgium, from 2007 to 2016, Kinixys homeana\u00a0<\/em>was the third most seized reptile species,” Togo pointed out. Cameroon, Senegal, the Republic of the Congo, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Djibouti, Panama, the United States of America and the European Union expressed their support.
\nBetween 2013 and 2025, “On the Trail” recorded seizures of live specimens in South Africa, Belgium and France.<\/p>\n

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Kinixys homeana<\/em> \u00a9 B. Phalan<\/p><\/div>\n

– The Dominican Republic obtained consensus for the listing of giant galliwasp (Caribicus warreni<\/em>) in Appendix I. These lizards, which are 20-30 cm long and endemic to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, are victims of the pet trade. The average selling price on the international market is 40 US$ for juveniles and 190 US$ for adults. No individuals have been observed in Haiti for several years: the population was victim to mass harvesting and exports to the United States in the 1990s.<\/p>\n

– Australia, the only country in the range area, obtained consensus for the listing of the leaf-tailed geckos Phyllurus amnicola<\/em> and Phyllurus caudiannulatus<\/em> in Appendix II. These two species are sought after on the pet market, with a selling price of up to 2,000 US$ per specimen. As their habitats are easily accessible, they are subject to uncontrolled collection in the wild. Many geckos and other small reptiles are smuggled out of Australia, tied up and hidden in socks, packets of crisps or cereal, thermos flasks, deep fryers, rice cookers, toys, soft toys, whether in postal parcels or directly in the suitcases of traffickers.<\/p>\n

– Ecuador obtained consensus for the transfer of Galapagos marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus<\/em>) and Galapagos land iguanas (genus Conolophus<\/em>) from Appendix II to Appendix I. These species had been listed in Appendix II since 1975 and no legal exports had been authorised by Ecuador. Since then, CITES has recorded transactions involving specimens described as “captive-bred”. Uganda, one of the main exporters of these captive-bred iguanas, expressed its support for both proposals. Wild specimens have been smuggled into this country and are now being bred illegally. In addition to smuggling, Galapagos iguanas are threatened by the introduction of invasive species into their habitats and by human activities, including tourism, which cause them stress and have a negative impact on their health.
\nBetween 2015 and 2022, “On the Trail” recorded seizures of live specimens in Ecuador and India.<\/p>\n\n\t\t