Wildlife Trade

WWF has taken twelve positions for CoP15.

Asian big cats

Proposal: Discuss the report of the Secretariat; Discuss conservation of and trade in tigers and other Appendix-I Asian big cat species.

WWF’s position: Estimates of tiger numbers suggest there are possibly as few as 3,200 in the wild. Alarmingly, recent years have seen a continued, and even increased, trend in illegal poaching across their range.  WWF urges the CITES Parties to take strong, decisive action at CoP15, which falls during the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese lunar calendar, to support efforts to ensure the continued survival of wild tigers.  WWF supports the proposal by the EU to amend resolution 12.5 on Asian big cats, aimed at increasing regional cooperation, improving enforcement controls and procedures, ensuring tiger-breeding operations are consistent with the conservation of wild populations, improving reporting, improving compliance and encouraging an expansion of a database.

Learn more:  Asian big cats (ABCs) 168 KB PDF; Year of the Tiger

Atlantic bluefin tuna

© WWF-Canon/Ezequiel Navío

Proposal: List on CITES Appendix I

WWF’s position: The Atlantic bluefin tuna is in urgent need of international conservation measures, having experienced a historical decline of over 85% as a result of overfishing driven by high-value international commercial trade.  An Appendix I listing would eliminate the driver of overfishing and give stocks time to recover.  An Appendix I listing, by controlling international trade, would also greatly assist with reducing the illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing which has plagued fisheries.

Learn more: Atlantic bluefin tuna 258 KB PDF

Hammerhead sharks

© Cat Holloway/WWF-Canon

Proposal: List on CITES Appendix II

WWF’s position: Catch rates of scalloped hammerhead sharks or a combination of hammerheads including two other species (S. mokarran and S. zygaena) indicate declines of 75–80% from the historical baseline.  The significant and continuing population decline of this species is driven by the international fin trade, therefore inclusion of the hammerhead sharks (as well as the look-alike species) in Appendix II is needed to regulate trade, which will allow the species time to recover.

Learn more: Hammerhead sharks 143 KB PDF

Oceanic white tip shark

Proposal: List on CITES Appendix II

WWF’s position: Once among the more abundant pelagic sharks, available catch data indicates that the species has undergone severe historic and recent declines.  In the Northwest Atlantic and Central Pacific oceans, declines of 90–99% in catch-per-unit effort and biomass have been observed since the 1950s, while catch declines of 90% have been recorded in the Eastern Pacific Ocean over a 10 year period. This species is heavily exploited when caught incidentally in many pelagic fisheries across the world, with fins removed and retained because of their high value in international trade. Inclusion of the species in Appendix II is needed to help stop the significant and continuing declines driven by the international fin trade.

Learn more: Oceanic whitetip shark 37 KB PDF

Porbeagle

© Richard Peirce

Proposal: List on CITES Appendix II

WWF’s Position: International demand for, and trade in, the high-value meat and fins is causing massive declines in porbeagle populations. Stock assessments in 2009 identified historical population declines of up to 94% from historical baseline levels (1926) in the Northeast Atlantic. Population declines in the Northwest Atlantic are between 73–78% of 1961 levels; despite catch restrictions, only limited stock recovery has occurred.  Inclusion of this species in Appendix II is needed due to the scale of declines in some stocks and international demand for the species.

Learn More: Porbeagle 141 KB PDF

Spiny dogfish

© Juergen Freunds

Proposal: List on CITES Appendix II

WWF’s position: As many as half of the stocks of spiny dogfish have undergone sharp declines due to international demand for spiny dogfish meat, which is driving unsustainable fisheries in several parts of the species’ range. Inclusion of the species in Appendix II is needed to help ensure that international trade is supplied by sustainably managed fisheries that are not detrimental to the status of the wild populations.

Learn More: Spiny dogfish 147 KB PDF

Red and pink coral

© Piero Castellano/Digisea.it

Proposal: List on CITES Appendix II

WWF’s position: Due to high international demand, Coralliium colonies have been overfished and have diminished dramatically in size. In the Mediterranean, colonies of Corallium rubrum of up to 20 inches in height were once common and now more than 90 percent of colonies in fished areas are only 1-2 inches tall and less than half are sexually mature.  Data in the Pacific shows that landings have declined from 100-400 tons a year to less than five tons.  An Appendix II listing is therefore needed for the Mediterranean species (C. rubrum) in order to regulate trade and give the species time to recover.  Listing of the entire family is needed on look-alike grounds (once in trade it is difficult to distinguish between the different species of Coralliium).

Learn more: Coralliidae 162 KB PDF

African elephant

© WWF-Canon/Folke Wulf

Proposal: Transfer elephant populations in Tanzania and Zambia from Appendix I to Appendix II; Place an 18 year moratorium on any trade in raw or worked ivory; Repeal the annotation that permits Namibia to export ekipas for non-commercial purposes and allows Zimbabwe to export ivory carvings for noncommercial purposes; Discuss ETIS and MIKE findings.

WWF’s position: WWF believes that it is premature to take any decisions about future legal ivory sales at CoP15. It is not yet completely clear whether the last legal ivory sale in 2008 stimulated further demand. More information over a longer time period is needed to clarify supply dynamics.  It would also be premature to take any decisions on this against a background of increasing illegal ivory trade, caused mainly by the failure to implement the action plan for the control of ivory trade agreed at CoP 13.

Learn more: Elephants 176 KB PDF

Rhinoceros

© WWF-Canon/Martin Harvey

Proposal: Discuss both the IUCN/TRAFFIC report on rhinos and the CITES Secretariat report on rhinos; Discuss Kenya’s suggested revisions to Resolution Conf. 9.14 (Rev. COP14) on Conservation of and Trade in African and Asian Rhinoceroses.

WWF’s position: Rhino poaching worldwide has hit a 15 year high and is currently exacerbated by increasingly sophisticated poachers who are now using veterinary drugs, poison, cross bows and high-calibre weapons to kill rhinos.  There is also a marked increase in demand in Asia, particularly in Vietnam, fueled by claims that rhino horn cures cancer.  Vietnam, South Africa and Zimbabwe, which have been implicated in increased poaching and trade by the TRAFFIC/IUCN SSC, must take steps to: improve law enforcement (including prosecution where appropriate) and increase collaboration between law enforcement bodies in Asia and Africa.  WWF supports both the CITES Secretariat report and the IUCN/TRAFFIC report and the recommendations therein.

Learn more: Rhinos 170 KB PDF

CITES and Livelihoods

© Brent Stirton/Getty Images

Proposal: Discuss the outcomes of a working group of the CITES Standing Committee.

WWF’s position: WWF strongly believes that properly implemented policies on species conservation and poverty alleviation should be mutually reinforcing. The carefully crafted draft Resolution on CITES and Livelihoods, which is the outcome of a very inclusive consultation process, is fully in line with that view.

Learn more: CITES and Livelihoods 129 KB PDF

Introduction from the Sea

© WWF-Canon/Mike R Jackson

Proposal: Seek consensus on an interpretation of how to implement Introduction from the Sea for CITES-listed species.

WWF’s position: Introduction from the Sea (IFS) is an important CITES provision for many marine species. However there are issues that the Parties have yet to finalize when it comes to IFS, including whether IFS certificates should be issued by the flag State or the port State. WWF believes that IFS certificates should be issued by the flag State. However, in order for the system to work, it will also rely on Port State accepting that they are obliged only to accept catches that are covered by an IFS certificate which must comply fully with CITES and with all relevant fisheries law.

Learn more: Introduction from the Sea 159 KB PDF

Polar bear

© WWF-Canada/Peter Ewins

Proposal: Transfer from CITES Appendix II to Appendix I

WWF’s position: Polar bears are in need of conservation attention to address the main threats to their survival - the retreat of sea ice habitat driven by global climate change, industrial development (such as offshore oil and gas, shipping, and mining), toxic pollution and conflict with humans.  However international trade is not a significant threat to the species, and the species is not considered to meet the criteria for listing on Appendix I.  Therefore WWF is unable to support this proposal, but urges all polar bear range states to take action to address the main threats to polar bears, and urges the international community to urgently make deep and long-term cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.

Learn more: Polar bears 162 KB PDF

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