official newsletter of the parties - cites · pdf file · 2013-09-11official...

Official Newsletter of the PartiesConvention on International Trade

in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

WORLD

Issue Number 6 � December 2000

1

In this issue

Letter from the Editor ................................................. 1Global wildlife treaty celebrates 25 yearsof saving endangered species .................................. 1, 2Southern African MIKE training workshop ......... 1, 3CITES workshop for the countries of the northAndean region ............................................................... 4Demanding too much � the shahtoosh trade inLondon .......................................................................... 5CITES training seminar for ManagementAuthorities and Customs agencies of EasternEuropean countries ....................................................... 7Development and application of forensicanalysis for CITES implementation andenforcement: sharing the burden ................................ 8New publication: Conservation and SustainableUse of Adonis vernalis, a Medicinal Plant inInternational Trade .................................................... 10A delegation from Kazakhstan visited theSecretariat on 30 October ......................................... 11Forthcoming CITES and otherenvironmental events ................................................ 12

Letter from the Editor

CITES World celebrates with this issue its third anniversary.We want to take this opportunity to remind Parties that itis their newsletter and that therefore the articles theyprovide about their activities are always more than welcome.The other anniversary to celebrate on this occasion is thatof CITES which entered into force 25 years ago!

You will notice in this issue that, after the two weeks ofintense work at the 11th meetingof the Conference of the Parties,the Parties have now recoveredand continue to implementCITES-related activities in theareas of capacity building,enforcement, etc. At theSecretariat, the past monthshave also been a period ofintense work with theproduction of the amendedCITES Appendices, as agreedat the 11th meeting, as well asthe new issues of Resolutionsand Decisions.

We want to thank the largenumber of readers who wroteto us mentioning that they hadappreciated the summary ofdecisions on the proposals toamend the CITES Appendicesat CoP11. Your feedback isessential to us.

The Secretariat

ISSN 1564-9164

Continued on page 2

Global wildlife treaty celebrates 25years of saving endangered species

Geneva, 1 July 2000

The Convention on International Trade in EndangeredSpecies (CITES) is celebrating 25 years of effective actiontoday, marking the day in 1975 that it entered into forceand became legally binding on governments. This occurredjust two years after the text of the CITES agreement was

Southern AfricanMIKE training

workshopMopane Camp, Kruger National

Park, 12-14 September 2000

BackgroundThis workshop was aimed atreviewing the implementationof the system known as MIKE(Monitoring the Illegal Killingof Elephants) in the southernAfrican sub-region (Botswana,Namibia, South Africa andZimbabwe), and in ensuring full

implementation in the region, by involving Mozambiqueand Zambia. Following on from a meeting held in November1999, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwebegan implementation of MIKE at the selected sites at thebeginning of the year 2000. In total there were 40participants from the six different countries and onerepresentative from the CITES Secretariat.

ProgrammeThe meeting was officially opened by Dr P. Botha of theSouth African Department of Environmental Affairs and

Continued on page 3

adopted at a meeting in Washington DC in 1973.

�During its first quarter century of activity, CITES hasbecome a major focus of international efforts to conserveendangered species such as tigers, rhinoceroses, turtles,and thousands of other animals and plants,� said KlausToepfer, Executive Director of the United NationsEnvironment Programme, which administers the CITESSecretariat.

�With its recently adopted strategic programme for theyears 2000-2005, CITES hasshown that it can adapt to therapidly changing conditions ofmodern times,� said Toepfer.

World � Official Newsletter of the Parties Issue 6

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�The main environmental challenges of the early 21stcentury will be driven by dramatic economic and populationgrowth, which together will place unprecedented pressureon wild nature.�

The text of the treaty states that: �Wild fauna and flora intheir many beautiful and varied forms are an irreplaceablepart of the natural systems of the earth which must beprotected for this and the generations to come� and CITESrecognizes that �peoples and States are and should be thebest protectors of their own wild fauna and flora�.

Over the past 25 years CITES has been setting up rulesand procedures for conservation and sustainable use. Themost recent example was the 11th Conference of the Partiesto CITES, held at the United Nations EnvironmentProgramme headquarters, in Nairobi, Kenya (April 2000).During this meeting, 62 proposals dealing with 50 specieswere discussed among the 151 Parties to CITES (now 152).These proposals included for instance, a deep revision ofthe list of plants, the African elephant, the minke whale,the hawksbill turtles of the Caribbean, etc.

The Conference of the Parties to CITES is an importantforum that brings together States, UN organizations, NGOs,and attracts the interest of the general public. In the lastconference, a big inflatable whale from a certain NGO couldbe seen as the symbol of the presence of the NGOs at theCITES meetings.

This dynamic process of constantly reviewing the CITESlist of species alongside a strategic vision are one of thekey factors of the success of CITES: it is a constantlyevolving convention, adapting to new challenges toimprove conservation and sustainable use of CITES listedspecies.

During the April meeting, Governments confirmed the needto complement conservation efforts and trade controls withstronger support for the sustainable use of wildlife.Sustainable use is key to building support for conservationamong local communities while directly raising funds forprotecting endangered species. There is also an increasingrecognition that developing countries need more capacity-building in order to monitor and control both wildlife tradeand wildlife populations. The need to increase and improvethe implementation and enforcement of the Conventionwas also highlighted.

CITES has significantly grown during these 25 years, froma small number of Parties in 1975 to 152 members today.CITES has largely contributed to conservation. Mr. WillemWijnstekers, Secretary General of CITES says: �Although

Global wildlife treaty celebrates 25 years ofsaving endangered speciesContinued from page 1

CITES is one of the oldest Conventions in the area ofwildlife conservation, it has proven to be flexible and ableto cope with new global environmental challenges. It hasin fact evolved into a major tool for sustainabledevelopment and to fully involve local communities inwildlife conservation. The Strategic vision through 2005should further enhance positive results for both of theseaims now also working in partnership with other relatedConventions�.

Background

CITES is a treaty that regulates international trade in certainprotected species. It is an international agreement thatmonitors global trade in many species of wildlife and plants.152 countries cooperate through a system of permits andcertificates, similar to �eco-labels�, to confirm that trade inlisted wildlife and plants, including parts and derivedproducts, is legal and does not threaten their survival inthe wild. CITES is designed to prevent further decline ofwild populations and ensure that trade is based onsustainable use and management of wild and captivepopulations.

When the treaty entered into force, 25 years ago, the Partiesto the Convention were primarily concerned with the effectsof increased international trade on certain species of wildfauna and flora. Since then CITES has been evolving andadapting to new environmental challenges.

The Convention has been the largest and by someaccounts, the most effective international wildlifeconservation agreement. The treaty�s strength lies in thebasic principle of strictly limiting commercial internationaltrade in species in need of protection while allowing acontrolled international trade that ensures sustainable usein other species that, if managed adequately, are capableof supporting some level of exploitation providingeconomical incentives for their conservation.

Since its beginning CITES has been promoting the use ofscientific data and information as the basis for all decisions.In 1994, the Conference of the Parties (CoP) adopted newcriteria for listing species in Appendices I and II. This criteriaprovides specific scientific guidance to the Parties. It hasbeen developed in close partnership with the InternationalUnion for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) andindividual scientists, CITES includes in this criteria forlisting species, practical yet precautionary provisions forreviewing the status of species that are affected orpotentially affected by international commercial trade. Thisscientifically based classification of species ensures thattraded species are appropriately protected.

Recently, the Parties to the Convention endorsed a strategicplan. This plan will guide CITES through to the year 2005.

The Secretariat

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Southern African MIKE Training WorkshopContinued from page 1

Tourism, who also chaired and facilitated the venue of theworkshop. The programme covered the background onMIKE and the specific requirements for full implementation.Each form required by the MIKE system was presented bydifferent delegates. All presentations lead to lively anddetailed discussions by participants on problemsexperienced or clarifications needed. It was pleasing tonote the active participation from many of the delegates inthese discussions.

The need to customize the forms to be better suited to thesouthern African situation was identified, and an eveningand early morning session of the MIKE National and SiteCoordinators was held to address this issue. The proposedchanges to theforms were thenpresented to theentire group, andfurther discussiontook place untilagreement wasreached.

Practical sessionsMr N. Nuulimba from IRDNC (Integrated RuralDevelopment and Nature Conservation) in Namibiapresented a practical session on the use of GPSs (GlobalPositioning Systems) and Cyber-trackers to facilitate data

collection duringpatrols. The IRDNChas developed thesedevices in the Caprivi

region where they havebeen used successfully bycommunity game guardsduring ground patrols.Although this equipment is by no means essential forconducting patrols, the technology can greatly enhancethe collection of information.

On the second afternoon, all delegates were driven out toan elephant carcass to discuss in a more practical way thecompletion of the elephant carcass report.

The workshop was officially closed by Mr T. Erkana,Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment andTourism of Namibia, on the afternoon of Thursday 14thSeptember.

Outcomes

National and Site Coordinatorswere identified for all sixcountries.

A steering committee comprisedof the six National SiteCoordinators was established tocoordinate the implementation ofMIKE in the sub-region. TheNational Site Coordinators areI. Theophilus (Botswana),

S. Bonito (Mozambique), P. Lindeque (Namibia), P. Botha(South Africa), F. Chisangano (Zambia) and E. Chidziya(Zimbabwe).

A strategy for data flow within the sub-region wasdeveloped.

Forms were customized to reflect local conditions.

The participants recognized the need for a standarddatabase, which is to be developed within six weeks of themeeting.

All countries committed themselves to continue theimplementation of MIKE at the selected sites.

Each country identified new sites to be considered forMIKE implementation.

A meeting of the National and Site Coordinators will beconvened within six weeks to discuss any problems withimplementation, to discuss and finalize the database andto fine-tune the sub-regional coordination.

SponsorsThe Game Products Trust Fund of Namibia kindlysponsored the delegates of Mozambique and Zambia, aswell as Mr N. Nuulimba from the IRDNC, covering theirtravelling, accommodation and meals.

The Governments of Botswana, South Africa andZimbabwe covered the costs of their delegates. Discover


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CITES workshop for the countriesof the north Andean region

La Paz, Bolivia, 25-29 September 2000

Arriving in La Paz, Bolivia, even the most frequent travelleris taken by surprise. Landing at an altitude of 4,200m is aunique experience. One immediately notices the differencebetween foreign visitors and locals: the former walk slowlyfrom the aircraft, pausing continually to take deep breaths,while the latter run with their luggage to catch one of thetaxis to the city centre before anyone else.

Because of the altitude, the sky is a deep blue. All aroundLa Paz one sees the splendour of the snow-capped Andes,where some of the nearby mountain ranges reach 6,000m.

Of the group that took part in the CITES workshop in La Paz,only one of our colleagues from Peru had slight problemsadjusting, since Lima lies at sea level. The others � asmentioned at the start of this article � walked with measured

Africa sponsored the airfares of all Namibian Officialdelegates, with other costs covered by the Government ofNamibia. The CITES Secretariat covered the costs of itsparticipant.

The South African Department of Environmental Affairsand Tourism paid for the conference facilities, and providedthe transport to and from Johannesburg.

The South African National Parks Board is thanked formaking the venue available.

The workshop is regarded as a great success, withsubstantial progress made towards full implementation ofMIKE in the sub-region. It provided a unique and muchappreciated opportunity for staff members from the sixcountries to liaise and share their experiences.

Compiled by P. Lindeque, Ministry of Environment andTourism, Private Bag 13306, Windhoek, Namibia

Delegates examining an elephant carcass

steps, pausing frequently to take great gasps of air.

The workshop was organized at the initiative of theMinistry of Sustainable Development with the cooperationof the Secretariat. Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Perutook part. Venezuela was invited but attendance by its tworepresentatives was unfortunately cancelled at the lastmoment owing to circumstances beyond its control. Thisseminar had originally been scheduled to begin at theMinistry of Foreign Affairs in La Paz and then transfer tothe tropical zone, where accommodation at a holiday resorthad been reserved for the 40 participants. However, asroads were blocked around La Paz by demonstrations, itwas decided that the workshop would be held entirely inthe capital.

The opening ceremony was held in an elegant receptionroom at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with short, concisespeeches being made by a high-level representative of theMinistry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Mario Baudoin of theMinistry of Sustainable Development, and Mr MarioHernández of the Secretariat.

It was a week of intense activity that passed very quickly.The workshop was conducted with presentations on allthe main areas of the Convention and working groups ledby the Secretariat. It was extremely interesting to have the

North Andean landscape(photo courtesy of Nicolas Ray)

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Demanding too much � theshahtoosh trade in London

In 1997, the Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime unit seized138 shahtoosh shawls from a London shop owned by theRenaissance Corporation, a dealer in high quality Indianartefacts. The total value on the price tags on the shawlswas GBP 353,000 (approximately USD 500,000). Welaunched Operation Charm, the Metropolitan Police initia-tive against the illegal trade in endangered species, inLondon in 1995, and it has led to the seizure of thousandsof endangered species. This was our first experience ofshahtoosh.

The Renaissance Corporation seizure showed that thedemand which is threatening the future of the Tibetanantelope is as active in the United Kingdom as it is in otherwestern consumer countries. Obviously, it is the demandfor shahtoosh in places like London which is the reasonfor the poaching in China, and we thought it was importantto take action to reduce the demand by increasing publicawareness of the true nature of the shahtoosh trade. Ourexperience in Operation Charm has been that most peoplein the United Kingdom will not buy products which theyknow are made from endangered species, but there are somany different stories to explain the origin of shahtoosh,that many consumers would be unaware of the true natureof the trade in this product.

Illegal Trade in Shatoosh leaflet published by theMetropolitan Police

police, Customs, the army and environmental lawyersparticipating. That interesting group, together withemployees from the CITES Scientific and ManagementAuthorities, was the focal point of work for Bolivia. Inparallel with that work, the representatives of Bolivia,Colombia and Ecuador, the ambassadors of the countriespresent, TRAFFIC and the Secretariat held workingmeetings to identify problems common to the region andto propose an appropriate action plan.

Some of the issues identified are described below.

The countries present advised Ecuador, which is a regionalrepresentative on the Standing Committee, of how theywould like such regional representation to be carried out.This involves consulting the countries on the issues to beraised at meetings of the Standing Committee and securinga common position to be discussed with the other tworegional representatives, namely Panama and Santa Lucia.

The countries present discussed whether another regionalmeeting should be organised for Central and South Americaand the Caribbean prior to the 12th Conference of theParties. Before a decision can be made in this regard, allthe countries in the region must be consulted through theregional representatives on the Standing Committee.

The countries present propose to exchange informationon the various CITES activities taking place on theirterritory. This could be the first step towards establishinga system for exchanging information that could then beextended to the region as a whole.

There was discussion of the need to train Customs andpolice officers, and national park rangers in CITES issues.It is proposed that existing material in Colombia and Perushould be used, making it generally available in othercountries.

There was discussion of the issue of CITES legislationand the current status of legislation in the participatingcountries. It is proposed that experiences should beexchanged in order to provide mutual assistance.

It is proposed that funding should be sought in order tocarry out a detailed study of illegal trade in the region, witha view to determining which species are being traded, wherethey come from and where they go to, etc.

At the same time, Bolivia set out an action plan identifyingvarious issues specific to this country: reinforcement ofthe current CITES structure, promotion of meetings withCustoms and the police, development of materials to raisepublic awareness of CITES, etc.

Overall, the workshop was quite a success. The CITESauthorities of Bolivia thank the Secretariat for itsattendance, cooperation and contribution to the workshop.

CITES Bolivia


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Operation Charm works by using a combination of en-forcement, education initiatives for traders and operationsto increase public awareness of endangered species is-sues. This approach has been successful in dealing withother endangered-species issues in London, such as tra-ditional Chinese medicines. However, while it is not difficultto persuade people to be concerned about animals liketigers, we thought it might not be so simple with the Chiru,which few people in Europe would have ever heard of.

We began by publishing a leaflet entitled �The Illegal Tradein Shahtoosh�, which was intended for both traders andpotential buyers of shahtoosh shawls, and explained thelaw and the true nature of the shahtoosh trade. Those whodeal in shahtoosh know that western consumers are usuallyconcerned about wildlife and want to know what they arebuying. Consequently, a number of different stories havebeen created to explain how shahtoosh is obtained. Forexample the Renaissance Corporation published a glossybrochure which explained that shahtoosh is made by�collecting tiny strands of wool from a special wild goat�,whilst the parent company, the Indian giant CottageIndustries Exposition, states in its brochure that shahtooshcomes �from the chin of the Ibex goat�. Obviously, unlessthey are told otherwise, there is no reason for consumersin the United Kingdom to doubt these stories, so one ofthe main reasons for producing the Metropolitan Policeleaflet was to tell the truth about the origins of shahtoosh.

One of the other ways in which we tell the public about theendangered species trade in the United Kingdom is bypublishing a series of postcards, each one depicting anendangered species which we have found being soldillegally in London. We published a Chiru postcard which,like the others, is widely distributed to members of thepublic and wildlife organizations.

Our work to increase public awareness has been greatlyhelped by the very high level of media interest in shahtooshin the time since we made the seizure. This shows no sign

of abating yet and has brought the issued to the attentionof many people who would otherwise be unaware of it.

As a result of all this we now find that shahtoosh shawlshave disappeared from the shops in London, albeit thedemand continues. I have met many retailers who do nosell shahtoosh but are frequently asked for it by customers.

Last year�s Xining Conference on Conservation and Tradein Tibetan Antelope identified reducing demand inshahtoosh consuming countries as one of the main actionswhich could be done to protect the species, and earlierthis year we took part in a joint campaign withWWF-UK which was intended to increase the awarenessof sales staff in department stores and other shops sellingcashmere and other high quality woollen goods.

As a first step we sent a joint letter from the MetropolitanPolice Wildlife Crime Unit and WWF to 80 stores in theLondon area, inviting them to order copies of a shahtooshinformation pack, which our two organizations hadproduced specifically to educate their staff about shahtooshand to explain why the trade in it is illegal. The response tothis exceeded our expectations, and over 100 informationpacks were distributed within the first two weeks. Copiesof the pack have gone to the most prestigious shops inLondon, whilst others have gone to fashion houses.

We intend to repeat this exercise in London soon. However,we are also anxious to see this initiative adopted in otherparts of the United Kingdom and, as we do not have anational police service, we have approached theGovernment�s Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime(PAW) with a view to the campaign being extended toother parts of the country.

The efforts which we are making, together with the extensivemedia coverage, are bringing the illegal trade in shahtooshto the attention of more and more people in the UnitedKingdom all the time. We believe that this is having animpact on the trade here and indeed shahtoosh shawls are

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becoming hard to find, which is good news for the Chiru,but it is important that we do not slacken our efforts. Assomebody once said, everybody has heard of Coca Cola,but they still advertise it! There is no such thing as toomuch public awareness.

The media interest in shahtoosh continues, and we expectto see much more coverage of it in future, but we are alsoworking with London Zoo on plans for an exhibition onthe shahtoosh trade in the zoo�s new Web of Life EducationCentre. All of this will help to keep the illegal trade inshahtoosh in people�s minds, which makes it difficult forthe illegal traders to sell their products. However, we arerealistic enough to know that all of these measures will notcompletely stop the illegal trade. Where a demand existsand substantial profits can be made there will always bethose who will break the law, but we intend to make it as

The German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation(FANC) held on 21-25 August 2000 a CITES training seminarfor CITES Management Authorities and Customs agenciesof Eastern European countries for the second consecutiveyear. The seminar was hosted by the International NatureConservation Academy of the FANC on the Isle of Vilmand supported by the CITES Secretariat, TRAFFIC-Europeand the Botanic Garden of Darmstadt.

Participants from altogether 11 countries � Belarus,Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary,Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey and Yugoslavia �attended this one week course.

The emphasis of the seminar was slightly changed basedon the previous year�s experience. In particular, thepresence of a representative from the Secretariat had

CITES training seminar for Management Authorities and Customs agenciesof Eastern European countries

difficult as possible for the shahtoosh trade in London tocarry on.

We have no Tibetan Antelope to protect in London, butby making as many people as possible aware that the onlyreason these animals are threatened with extinction in Chinais because people in cities like ours want to buy a shawl,we can significantly reduce the demand for shahtoosh.

Most of my work to help endangered species is done in anoffice block in central London. In every sense it is a verylong way from here to the remote mountain home of theChiru, but the actions of people here can influence whathappens there, for good or bad. We, in the MetropolitanPolice Wildlife Crime Unit, will be trying to ensure that theinfluence of people in London is a positive one in future.

Andy Fisher, Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime Unit

Participants in the CITES training seminar for Management Authorities andCustoms agencies of Eastern European countries


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Development and application offorensic analysis for CITES

implementation and enforcement:sharing the burden

Among the many problems that CITES Parties have todeal with is identifying a specimen or forensic sample as aspecies or unique individual. It may also be important todetermine its origins, or to link the specimen or sample to aparticular place, object or person. However, the rapidexpansion of research, development and application ofwildlife forensic analysis techniques and protocols areproviding solutions to these problems.

Forensic analysis covers a broad spectrum of technologyand applications, ranging from the most sophisticated andemerging DNA testing, through to the well-knownfingerprint analysis. Typical examples of its applicationinclude identifying a part or derivative to species level, toconfirm that it matches the accompanying CITES permitand whether a specimen originated from the wild, ratherthan being captive bred. The box opposite provides only afew examples of different techniques that can be usedtoday to assist with selected issues of speciesidentification or origin determination.

The use of forensic analysis is often closely linked toidentification of CITES specimens or investigation ofcriminal cases. Law enforcement officials and CITESauthorities are faced with several dilemmas whenconsidering application of forensic or development of newtechniques. They need to know if a test is already availableto meet their needs. If so, reputable experts who canundertake the work need to be identified.

If no test or expertise is readily available, they have toconsider developing a test and/or building capacity toperform it, which can be very costly and time consuming.In many cases CITES Parties have done just that � investingin lengthy and costly research to develop a new test ortechnique � to solve a problem they regularly have to dealwith. While highly commendable, in some cases this hasresulted in duplication of effort around the world.

Examination of a radiography

proven to be extremely helpful and it was invited again.This gave the participants ample opportunity to discussin what ways the Secretariat can provide assistance to theParties to implement the Convention more effectively atthe national and international levels.

Other issues which were addressed during theseminar included:

· provisions of the Convention;

· basic biological knowledge of the species coveredunder CITES;

· issuance and verification of permits and certificates;

· role of Customs in the implementation of theConvention;

· specific exemptions under the Convention; and

· illegal trade.

At the end of the seminar all attendants stressed again theimportance of such meetings not only to improve theimplementation of the Convention but also to find solutionsto specific common problems. Even more importantly, theyhelp strengthen enforcement through regional cooperationin accordance with the goals of the CITES Strategic Plan.

Dr. D. Jelden, Head CITES Management Authority,Federal Agency of Nature Conservation, Germany.

Examples of specimens seized by the Customs

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Some Parties also offer to assist others by undertakingforensic work for law enforcement cases. One such exampleis the United States Fish and Wildlife Service ForensicLaboratory, which generously assists Parties in this way.While unilateral assistance may not meet the long-termneeds of Parties, it does provide a short-term result. It isalso often an important catalyst towards building theconfidence and ability of the Parties to undertake suchwork themselves.

There is certainly a need for greater awareness andinformation exchange among the Parties. Law enforcementofficials in particular should be aware of the potential useof forensic science for CITES cases, as well as the range oftechniques already available or under development thatcould support their work. The sharing of data andtechnology would enable Parties to assist each other in

developing agreater rangeof techniquesand expertiseto apply withintheir owncountries � tosuit local needsand to achievegreater self-reliance.

In the UnitedKingdom, the Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crimeestablished the DNA and Forensic Analysis WorkingGroup to explore and promote the development andapplication of forensic to combat wildlife crime. TheWorking Group recognised the need to compile a nationaldirectory of DNA testing and forensic techniques, research

Tiger Panthera tigris Parts, derivatives DNA testing, morphologicalidentification, immunoassay

Tibetan Antelope Pantholops hodgsonii Shahtoosh Microscopic fibre analysis,DNA testing

Bears Ursidae Parts, derivatives Chemical analysis, morphology,DNA testing

Musk Deer Moschus spp. Musk, pods, grains Chromatography, morphology

Elephants Elephantidae Ivory DNA testing, isotope analysis,morphology

Rhinoceroses Rhinocerotidae Horn Morphology, infrared spectro-scopy

Birds Aves Feathers DNA testing, morphology

Marine turtles Cheloniidae Shell, meat, oil DNA testing, morphology

Sturgeons Acipenseriformes Caviar, meat DNA testing

Plants Flora Parts, derivatives Morphology, DNA testing

Examples of techniques used to assist species identification or origin determination

underway and expertise available. The directory has beenused successfully for several years to raise awareness andin particular assist law enforcers in finding the experts ortechniques that they need for particular cases. Lookingbeyond the national boundary was the next step proposedby the Working Group. The CITES Management Authorityof the United Kingdom took this step on board and isimplementing a research project to develop an internationaldirectory of DNA research and expertise for key CITESspecies. The aim is to ensure that any future DNA researchprojects do not duplicate effort, to explore partnershipsbetween Parties to exchange techniques and to formulatea list of target species for which DNA tests are urgentlyrequired. The CITES Management Authority of the UnitedKingdom would be grateful to receive any information tohelp support this research project. It is also keen tocollaborate with other Parties that may have a body with asimilar focus or are considering establishing one.

The CITES Secretariat is also encouraging a greaterexchange of information between the Parties on the latestdevelopments and research underway. They could alsocontribute to each other�s work by providing samples,technology, data, expertise and resources. It would alsobe useful to keep the Secretariat informed of developmentsin these activities. We will all still be facing problems inimplementing and enforcing CITES, but a more collaborativeapproach to the exchange of information and thedevelopment and use of forensic tools may well help lightenthat burden.

Allan Crawford (TRAFFIC International). Coordinatorof the DNA and Forensic Analysis Working Group, UKPartnership for Action against Wildlife Crime.

Electrophoresis gel - DNA testing


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The German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation announces the firstpublication of a new series of monographs: Conservation and Sustainable

Use of Adonis vernalis, a Medicinal Plant in International Trade.

At the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES, Adonis vernalis was included in Appendix II of theConvention owing to its over-utilization for medicinal purposes.

In August 2000, the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation published the first of a new series of monographsfocussing on the conservation status of plant taxa threatened by exploitation. The publication by Dagmar Lange isentitled Conservation and Sustainable Use of Adonis vernalis, a Medicinal Plant in International Trade.

Adonis vernalis has long been used for its medicinal properties in the treatment of heart diseases. The report summarizesavailable information on the species biology and use, resource management and legislation in the countries of export,and analyses its conservation status. Facing risk of extinction from both habitat loss and over-harvesting for internationaltrade, the species may benefit from the recommendations presented by the author.

CITES Scientific and Management Authorities may receive a complimentary copy on request. Please send your orderto Natalie Hofbauer, Bundesamt für Naturschutz, Konstantinstraße 110, 53179 Bonn, Germany, Tel. +49 (228) 8491-106,Fax: +49 (228) 8491-119, E-mail: [email protected].

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A delegation from Kazakhstan visited the Secretariat on 30 October following the recententry into force of the Convention in this country, with from left to right:

Mr Yerik Razakov, representative of the Scientific Authority of Kazakhstan

Mr Bulat Uzhkenov, Vice-Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Protection of Kazakhstan

Mr Willem Wijnstekers, Secretary General (CITES Secretariat)

Ms Yuliya Kim, representative of the Scientific Authority of Kazakhstan

Mr Jim Armstrong, Deputy Secretary General (CITES Secretariat)

Mr Khairbek Mussabaev, Head of the Management Authority of Kazakhstan

Mr Jonathan Barzdo, Head of the Convention Servicing Unit (CITES Secretariat)

Ms Lyazzat Khussainova, interpreter


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Although every attempt is made to ensure the accuracy of thearticles, the opinions expressed are that of the individualauthors. The designations of geographic entities do not implythe expression of any opinion whatsoever concerning thelegal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its frontiersand borders.

·21st session of the UNEP Governing Council5-9 February 2001, Nairobi, KenyaOffice of the Secretary for Governing Bodies(B. A. Miller)e-mail: [email protected]

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Forthcoming CITES and other environmental events

·Convention on Migratory Species Scientific CouncilDate and place not yet determined, April 2001UNEP/CMS Secretariattel: +49 (228) 815-2401fax: +49 (228) 815-2449e-mail: [email protected]

·Meeting of experts from the Contracting Parties to the1968 African Convention on the Conservation of Natureand Natural ResourcesDate and place not yet determined, March 2001IUCN (F. Burhenne, W. Burhenne)e-mail: [email protected]

·Fifth meeting of the Council of the Pan-EuropeanBiological and Landscape Diversity StrategyDate not yet determined, Geneva, Switzerland, March 2001Council of Europe (M. Dejeant-Pons)DRCR � Regional Office for Europe (A. Metelitsa)

·Convention on Migratory Species StandingCommitteeDate and place not yet determined, April 2001UNEP/CMS Secretariattel: +49 (228) 815-2401fax: +49 (228) 815-2449e-mail: [email protected]

·45th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee4-8 June 2001 (tentative dates)CITES Secretariat (Policy and Management Unit)tel: +41 (22) 917-8139/40fax: +41 (22) 917-3417e-mail: [email protected]

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