CITES

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What is CITES?

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement between governments, to which states adhere to voluntarily, to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. CITES subjects international trade in certain species to strict controls. Aware that trade in wild animals crosses national borders, CITES recognised that international cooperation and coordination had to be enforced to safeguard species from overexploitation. Today, it accords varying degrees of protection to more than 35,000 species of animals and plants, whether they are traded as live specimens, fur coats or dried herbs.

The species covered in CITES are categorised into 3 Appendices, according to the degree of protection they need.The Conference of the Parties (CoP) is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention and comprises all its member States. They have agreed on a set of biological and trade data criteria to help determine if species should be included in Appendices I or II.

Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.

Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid exploitation incompatible with their survival.

Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade.

CITES’ Involvement with African Grey Parrots

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After being subject to two significant trade reviews by CITES, a two year ban was recommended in Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. The committee also recommended that quotas of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo be halved to 4,000 and 5,000 birds respectively.

Another intervention initiated by CITES is the Non-Detrimental Finding (NDF) procedure. This method aims to overcome the barrier of accuracy in assessing the status of population so as to be able to deduce the impact that removal of individuals would have on the wild population. The African grey parrot is the most significant example of objectifying survey of wildlife populations and assessment of trade through NDF.

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