Conservation group hails CITES successes
Science and wildlife conservation prevailed at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP17) in Johannesburg, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) said on Tuesday.
"Science and wildlife conservation prevailed at CITES CoP17. The decisions made by the gathering countries were based on the best available scientific information," WCS Vice President of International Policy, Susan Lieberman, said.
"Further, we were encouraged that governments fully embraced the precautionary principle by making decisions in the best interest of the species in the wild. After attending 11 CoPs, I strongly believe this was among the most successful CoP ever for wildlife," Lieberman told the African News Agency (ANA).
WCS highlighted a number of science-based decisions as CITES successes:
The transfer of all eight pangolin species, four found in Africa and four found in Asia, to Appendix I;
The transfer of the African grey parrot, heavily sought after for the pet trade, to Appendix I;
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The inclusion of all nine species of devil rays, the three thresher shark species, and the silky shark in CITES Appendix II, resulting in international trade restrictions to ensure their exports are sustainable and legal.
The adoption of key resolutions and decisions dealing with closure of domestic elephant ivory markets; illegal trade in rhino horn; National Ivory Action Plans; the Decision Making Mechanism on elephant proposals; corruption; the critically endangered helmeted hornbill; illegal trade in cheetahs; sharks and rays; tortoises and freshwater turtles; and so much more.
"The WCS recommendations throughout the CoP were all based on science," said Lieberman.
"WCS looks forward to continuing to work closely with Party governments, the Secretariat, and our IGO and NGO partners, to help ensure that the decisions governments made at this CoP are implemented effectively.
"WCS commits to continuing to scale up our efforts to combat the scourge of wildlife trafficking across the globe-from our on-the-ground work in the field in more than 60 countries; to working to assist governments in anti-trafficking, intelligence gathering and analysis, and enhancing enforcement; to working to reduce demand, based on sound scientific approaches; to working at the global policy level," stated Lieberman.