Representatives from the 183 member parties currently in Geneva for the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP 18) will hash out a number of proposals on survival of vital species in the world.
The event that kicked off on August 17 features up to 107 agenda items and 57 species proposals, an increase from the 90 and 79 agenda items at COP 17 in Johannesburg in 2016 and COP 16 in Bangkok in 2013, respectively.
Elephants and trade in ivory will be prominently discussed, with Kenya and 31 other African states under African Elephant Coalition submitting a proposal to have African elephants listed on Appendix 1.
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Zambia, whose elephants are in Appendix 1, has put in a different proposal to downgrade the country’s elephant to allow for ivory stockpiles sales and export of elephant products.
During this CITES, unlike others held before, delegates will consider the protection of giraffes faced by ‘silent extinction’. Giraffe numbers have declined by 40 per cent in the past 30 years due to habitat loss, illegal trade, civil unrest and hunting.
“It is important that giraffes are listed by CITES because currently, we can’t say for certain how much of their huge population decline is due to trade. We do know it is a significant factor though as the only country that currently collects data on trade in giraffes, the US, has reported almost 40,000 giraffe items traded in a decade, from 2006 to 2015.
Listing on Appendix II is vital to regulate trade in giraffes and prevent any illegal and unsustainable trade,” said Matt Collis, International Fund For Animal Welfare (IFAW) Director, International Policy, and head of IFAW’s delegation at CITES.
This COP will also focus on sharks and rays whose numbers are rapidly declining due to increased demand for fins and meat. A number of shark species were successfully listed on Appendix 11, but countries are proposing listing of more species to ensure trade is limited and sustainable. Rhinos are among other key species whose protection will be debated at the conference. Emerging issues such as online trade in wildlife will also form discussions at COP18.
Rhinos are among other key species whose protection will be debated at the conference. Emerging issues such as online trade in wildlife will also form discussions at COP18.
