CITES the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna

 

The international wildlife trade, worth billions of dollars annually, has been one of the causes of decline in the numbers of many species of animals and plants. The scale of over-exploitation for trade aroused such concern for the survival of species that an international treaty was drawn up in 1973 to protect wildlife, and prevent international trade from threatening species with extinction.

CITES entered into force on 1 July 1975 and now has a membership of 145 countries. These countries act by banning commercial international trade in an agreed list of endangered species and by regulating and monitoring trade in others that might become endangered. The convention has certainly had some success though it is hard quantify, and success may be partly due to raising of awareness of issues rather than prosecutions. The convention considers three appendices of species that require control.

The most endangered species

Appendix I:
Includes all species threatened with extinction which are or may be affected by trade

Other species at serious risk

Appendix II:
a) Includes all species which although not necessarily currently threatened with extinction may become so unless trade is subject to strict regulation
b) Other species which must be subject to regulation in order that trade in certain specimens of species referred to in (a) above may be brought under effective control, i.e, species similar in appearance.
Appendix III:
All species which any Party identifies as being subject to regulation within its jurisdiction for the purpose of preventing or restricting exploitation.

Table 1:The numbers of species contained within Appendix I,II, and III of CITES. Species are listed "taxonomically" i.e. Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus.
  Appendix I Appendix II Appendix III
Mammals 254 432 67
Birds 160 1296 149
Reptiles 71 396 19
Amphibians 14 68 0
Fish 8 28 0
Invertebrates 69 2007 0
Plants (estimate) 314 24885 6

A case in point: The long nosed echidna

Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Monotremata Family: Tachyglossidae Genus: Zaglossus Status: Threatened

Listed in appendix II of CITES, this long nosed echidna is categorised as vulnerable by IUCN. Hunting with trained dogs by the New Guinean people as well as loss of natural forest habitat due to farming are the primary causes for the species' endangerment. In 1982 only 1.6 "Zaglossus" (echidna) existed per square kilometre of suitable habitat. It is thought that the disappearance of long-nosed echidnas in Australia was due to climate changes that led to decreased presence of earthworms.
Task 3: Chose one of the species listed below that appear in CITES, Investigate; the geographical distribution, habitat and food, population and threats to survival.
  • Mammalia, Cetacea Delphinidae Sotalia
  • Mammalia, Hominidae, Pongo Pygmaeus
  • Mammalia, Carnivora Urisdae, Ursus arctos
  • Mammalia, Chiroptera, Pteropodidae, Pteropus livingstoni