Since the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was signed in Washington, D.C. in 1973, there have been incredible strides in wildlife protection—as well as perilous decisions that put a number of beleaguered species’ very survival in question. Some of the world’s most iconic wild animals are protected from over-exploitation by CITES and the national laws around the world that implement the Treaty. When the Parties to CITES met in Johannesburg, South Africa this fall, there was little question that the stakes were high.[teaserbreak]
As supporters of Born Free USA will likely be aware because of our integral involvement in CITES debates and deliberations, the Treaty lists tens of thousands of wild animals and plants on three appendices. This starts from the highest level of protection granted to endangered species in Appendix I (for which commercial trade is prohibited), to species not necessarily threatened with extinction in Appendix II (for which trade must be controlled for their survival), and species protected unilaterally by their countries in Appendix III.
At each CITES meeting, there are dozens of issues on the agenda: proposals to increase species protection or list them under the Convention anew, proposals to reduce species protection or remove them from CITES altogether, and resolutions to help facilitate implementation and enforcement.
By all pro-animal accounts, this was one of the most successful meetings since I started attending CITES meetings in 1994. For most species, we advanced the cause of conservation; for some, we beat back attempts to reopen trade with potentially disastrous consequences; and, for others, we improved the situation, despite not achieving full success.
One of the most important successes involved the uplisting of all eight pangolin species—four in Africa and four in Asia—from Appendix II to Appendix I, thus shutting down commercial trade. Pangolins are currently considered to be the most heavily-trafficked mammals in the world, with more than an estimated one million animals traded in the past 15 years. All pangolins are under assault for the trade in their scales used as traditional Asian medicines, and for their meat, which is considered a luxury. The support from governments across the globe was overwhelming; all African species of pangolins were easily approved by consensus, and the two Asian species for which a vote was requested were approved 114-1!
This awe-inspiring support bodes well for stronger domestic measures by some CITES Parties, including the U.S., which is currently considering a petition by Born Free USA and other conservation organizations to similarly list all pangolins under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. We hope that a decision on this additional protection will now be imminent.
There were also promising advancements for Barbary macaques, silky and thresher sharks, devil rays, African pygmy chameleons, softshell turtles, African rosewood, and African grey parrots (long traded globally for the exotic pet trade and now finally listed on Appendix I). Great progress was also made on CITES law enforcement and demand-reduction through the adoption of decisions helping countries reduce wildlife market demand and strengthen law enforcement coordination.
Born Free USA has been working for years under CITES to call additional attention to the plight of cheetahs, who continue to be captured live in the Horn of Africa and traded to the Middle East as pets for the wealthy. A single cheetah may cost as much as $10,000. Sadly, only an estimated 7,000 cheetahs cling to existence in Africa. CITES approved a number of recommendations designed to improve law enforcement to stop the trade in cheetahs, including the development of a “cheetah tool kit” to make it easier to stop illegal trade, as well as measures focused on where to place confiscated live cheetahs.
Similarly, at our urging, African wild dogs, currently not listed by CITES at all, will be getting some attention over the next three years. A series of recommendations calls for CITES to start looking into the potential impact of international trade on this endangered species. Only 4,500 wild dogs remain in Africa, and we hope that starting the process now will lead to concrete listing action when the Parties meet again in three years.
The biggest and most aggressive debates are usually reserved for elephants, and now, for rhinos, as well. There is no question that elephants continue to be poached in the tens of thousands annually for their valuable ivory, which is traded illegally around the globe. The Obama Administration has instituted new policies in the past year to further crack down on the domestic trade in ivory, and CITES Parties are being urged to do the same: shut down domestic ivory markets that contribute to the poaching of elephants and illegal trade in elephant ivory.
So, it was no surprise that Namibia and Zimbabwe failed miserably in their attempts at this CITES meeting to allow a renewed, legal trade in elephant ivory once again. But, there was also no widespread appetite to support a proposal to uplist all elephants back to Appendix I. In the end, the status quo of elephants being “split-listed” with most on Appendix I and populations in four countries on Appendix II remains—but, importantly, with no new trade in ivory allowed.
Swaziland also submitted a dangerous proposal to restart trade in horns from white rhinos. Despite having a small population of rhinos and a complete onslaught of rhino poaching to supply Asian horn markets (where powdered horns are sold as medicinal cures for ailments including cancer), Swaziland pushed to allow trade. As with the ivory trade, this would send exactly the wrong message to rhino poachers and horn profiteers: that there is a market for rhino horn again. The proposal was soundly defeated.
Perhaps not surprisingly, what ended up being the most contentious and hard-fought issue at the meeting involved the African lion. Fresh off of our successful endeavor to get the lion listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, Niger and other lion range states pushed to uplist lions to Appendix I of CITES. The African lion is losing habitat rapidly, clinging to life on an estimated 8% of its historic range. The lion population has declined from an estimated 78,500 in 1980 to around 20,000 today.
And, while there are many intense threats facing the African lion, including slaughter by trophy hunters, the commercial trade in lion bones is increasingly harming the species. As tigers have been nearly wiped out, and the tiger bone trade internationally banned under CITES, lion bones have been fed into the trade more and more to fuel the market for big cat bones.
The lion debate extended over multiple days. With South Africa fiercely defending its lion breeding facilities and lion trade, it was clear that the proposal to list lions on Appendix I and to stop commercial trade was not going to pass. Faced with the risk of losing everything or trying to move the issue forward measurably, a compromise was struck at the last minute: leave all lions on Appendix II, universally prohibit all commercial trade in wild lion parts (such as claws, bones, and skeletons), force South Africa to submit a monitored quota for any trade in bones from the country, and engage an official CITES study in the lion trade that may lead to another attempt for Appendix I at the next meeting.
Perfection, it is said, is the enemy of the good. And, in the face of perfection being unattainable, this compromise gives some new protection to lions and sets a process in place to get more the next time around.
Overall, wildlife won in Johannesburg. Watchfulness, however, is vital. Born Free USA will monitor the impacts of these listing decisions, continue to participate in intersessional CITES meetings, and work with relevant governments to ensure protection for wildlife in trade.
CITES meetings are grueling, to be sure: so many issues, so many competing interests, so many species in desperate need of protection. We must—and we will—do all we can to give these species a fighting chance.