The CITES 'endangered' myth

[mrcota]

There appears to be a common misconception that CITES appendices have anything to do with 'endangered' status. This is not the case. Even though CITES stands for the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species, many truly endangered species do not receive a CITES Appendix I listing. CITES has nothing to do with the determination of whether a species is endangered or not. CITES main concern is trade and it is political in nature. It protects species that are commercially valuable. If the species is not commercially valuable, it is rarely given CITES I (most protected) status.

Who decides a species' status?

The IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) through SSC (Species Survival Commission) decides a species status. These can be found in the IUCN Red List.The 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Unfortunately, governments are not bound by a signed 'convention' with the IUCN, so they do not have to do anything to help a species plight.

An example of something near and dear to my heart: monitor lizards. Currently, the follow monitor lizards are categorised as CITES I:
Varanus bengalensis, Varanus flavescens, Varanus griseus, Varanus komodoensis, Varanus nebulosus (actually Varanus bengalensis nebulosus).
Of those listed, only V. komodoensis is listed as even vulnerable and V. flavescens is listed as 'least concern'. The closest to endangered is V. olivaceus, which is only listed as CITES II.

Cheers,
Michael

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[morti]

That is good information to have at your fingertips Michael.

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[amercnwmn]

that is great info Thanks!

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[owen.richards]

so do coastal carpets and jungle carpets need a citis permit to ship from us to canada? i have had 3 people offer me carpet pythons free over various forums but i always thought you need a citis permit to ship em here, so i havent accepted any of them, but i really wanted them

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[mrcota]

Originally Posted by owen.richards

so do coastal carpets and jungle carpets need a citis permit to ship from us to canada? i have had 3 people offer me carpet pythons free over various forums but i always thought you need a citis permit to ship em here, so i havent accepted any of them, but i really wanted them

Morelia spilota (all subspecies and variants) are listed under CITES Appendix II, which requires a CITES export permit from the country of origin and a CITES import permit from the country which it is being sent.

Cheers,
Michael

[owen.richards]

ok so since they are from Australia...and the ones being offered to me are CBB in the us and i am in canada, do i need a citis?

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[mrcota]

Yes.

A CITES export permit is required, to be obtained by the one shipping/ sending, from the US CITES authority (because it is the country of origin, where they might have to produce some kind of proof that it was CBB in the US- up to the US CITES authority).

A CITES import permit will be needed, for you to obtain, from the Canadian CITES authority.

[owen.richards]

ok, do you know where i get oen of these permits? and how much are they usually?

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[mrcota]

Here is a link to the 8 page form that you need to import the animal:
http://www.cites.ec.gc.ca/PDF/application_animals.pdf
It must be sent to the Canadian Wildlife Service. Once received, it will take 6-8 weeks to process. There is a fee of course, but it is not listed.

The seller in the US must submit his application for a CITES export permit the FWS office in Arlington, Virginia. Here is the link for the US permit: http://www.fws.gov/forms/3-200-24.pdf There is no time estimate on how long it will take to process, but when I was last in the US, there was only one person issuing permits for the entire US. Processing fee is listed at $100 USD.

All this information is available through the CITES website: Welcome to CITES

Cheers,
Michael

[owen.richards]

sheesh, i dont want to go through all that and i doubt the person offering the snake would want to either

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[mrcota]

Originally Posted by owen.richards

sheesh, i dont want to go through all that and i doubt the person offering the snake would want to either

This should make a good point on how CITES is commercially oriented. Only large scale exporting and importing would make the time, effort and money worth it. You do not see private persons working with CITES very often, unless it is a VERY expensive or valuable specimen.

CITES is also a terrible hindrance to science. Those same regulations technically apply if you wanted to send a fecal sample over international borders to have it checked by a vet. The regulations state that not only the species is regulated, but parts and products made from the species are also regulated. Say for example, someone in the US wanted a small liver sample of a Varanus bengalensis nebulosus to conduct DNA analysis of phylogenetic relationships between it and other monitors; because it is CITES Appendix I, you would not believe how incredibly difficult that would be to send a vial the size of your pinkie finger with a liver sample smaller than the size of an aspirin. Result: research is often not done on animals listed in CITES Appendices I and II.

The only ones that benefit are large commercial enterprises, where volume offsets the cost- so when it comes to species listed under CITES Appendix II, one has to ask whether the whole system is actually counter-productive to the plight of those species.

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[HadesBP18]

It's funny you mention this. My sister works for the company behind the Reptiles magazine (yes, it is awesome) so she buys me books at a cheaper price. I was thumbing through the Snake Almanac the other night for the hundredth time. This is what it says about CITES.

The most powerful legal instrument in the battle to prevent over-exploitation of snakes, and other animals and plants, is an international agreement known as CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) It is an international treaty that more than 150 nations have signed. Originated in 1973, it is designed to regulate, and in many cases restrict, international commerce in imperiled animals and plants. The objectt of CITES is to confirm that trade in imperiled wildlife and plants is legal and does not threaten their survival in the wiild.

Appendix I contains a list of species that are literally near or on the brink of extinction, either throughout its range or in certain countries. Commercial trade is not permitted in these species. However, individuals of species used for critical scientific research or conservation, usually for the benefit of the species, may be shipped internationally, with strictly scrutinized permits issued by both exporting and importting countries.

Appendix II contains a list of species that could be imperiled unless trade is tightly regulated. An importing country must be provided with an export permit from the nation of origin in order to allow a commercial transaction.

Appendix III covers species that are not endangered as a whole, but are subject to intensive conservation programs within individual countries, where these species are dwindling. Trade in these species is egulated by permits and other documents listing the point of origin, so it can be determined whether or not they come from a highly managed population.


Here's some examples they gave:
Madagascar boas: Appendix I
Boa constrictor: Appendix II
Argentine Boa: Appendix I
Rainbow Boa: Appendix II
Yellow Anaconda: Appendix II
Round Island Boa: Appendix I
Mona Boa: Appendix I
Indian Python: Appendix I
Tree Boa: Appendix I

(The Snake Almanac. Ed Ricciuti)

There are a bunch of hots and some colubrids in there as well. Hope this is benefitial!

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[RioBravoReptiles]

CITES is bunk and totally politicized.. you can take a southern hognose from the US with no oversight, Wild-collected or otherwise.. and that's a critically endangered animal.. CB boas (not even native to this country) require extensive permitting and fees.
.
As was (very well) pointed out, CITES is not about endangered species, it is about politics and money.
.
Yes, that's just my opinion.

[HadesBP18]

Oh, don't worry. I was just giving what the book says are the so-called facts. As a matter of fact I couldn't agree with you more.

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