Der englische Name des am 3. März 1973 in Washington D. C. abgeschlossenen und am 22. Juni 1979 in Bonn sowie am 30. April 1983 in Gaborone abgeschlossenen Staatsvertrag lautet Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, zu Deutsch Übereinkommen über den internationalen Handel mit gefährdeten Arten freilebender Tiere und Pflanzen. Das im deutschen Sprachraum oft als "Washingtoner Artenschutzübereinkommen" bezeichnete Abkommen trat für die ersten zehn Vertragsstaaten, darunter die Schweiz, am 1. Juli 1975 in Kraft, für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland am 20. Juni 1976, für Liechtenstein formell am 28.02.1980 (faktisch bereits 1975 gleichzeitig mit der Schweiz), für Österreich am 27. April 1982 und für Luxemburg am 12.03.1984. Derzeit (2022) sind ihm 184 Staaten angeschlossen.

Die Schweiz ist Verwahrregierung. Das Generalsekretariat (https://cites.org/eng) befand sich ursprünglich in Morges, danach in Lausanne und gegenwärtig in Genf Alle zwei Jahre findet eine Tagung der Vertragsstaatenkonferenz statt, auf der u.a. die Anhänge der erfassten Arten geändert, das Budget genehmigt  und Empfehlungen zum Vollzug gemacht werden. Gegen Aenderungen der Anhänge kann innert 90 Tagen ein Vorbehalt eingelegt werden. Verschiedene Ständige Komitees nehmen bestimmte Aufgaben auch zwischen den Tagungen wahr.

Das Uebereinkommen bezweckt, den internationalen Handel mit lebenden und toten "Exemplaren" von unmittelbar bedrohten Tier- und Pflanzenarten zu unterbinden und jene mit "Exemplaren" potentiell gefährdeter Arten einer Kontrolle zu unterwerfen. Als "Exemplare" gelten
 jedes lebende oder tote Tier (bzw. Pflanze) und jeder ohne weiteres erkennbare Teil oder jedes ohne weiteres erkennbare Erzeugnis aus einem Tier (bzw. einer Pflanze), wie z.B. Felle, Reptilhäute, Pelzmäntel, Reptillederwaren, Elfenbein, Stopfpräparate, Jagdtrophäen, Souvenirs aus Schildkrötenpanzern.

Die als bedroht geltenden Arten sind in Anhang I aufgeführt. Der gewerbliche Handel mit Exemplaren von Anhang I-Arten ist verboten. Ausnahmen sind u.a. Vorerwerb oder Nachzuchten. Für den nicht gewerblichen Handel ist eine Ausfuhrbewilligung des Ursprungslandes und eine Einfuhrbewilligung des Einfuhrlandes vorgeschrieben.

Die potentiell gefährdeten Arten und solche Arten, die mit jenen des Anhangs I verwechselt werden könnten, figurieren in Anhang II. Der gewerbliche Handel mit Exemplaren dieser Arten ist erlaubt, sofern eine Ausfuhrbewilligung des Ursprungslandes vorliegt.

In Anhang III aufgeführt sind Arten, die eine Ausfuhrbewilligung benötigen, wenn sie aus bestimmten Ländern (d. h. jenen, die sie für Anhang III angemeldet haben) ausgeführt werden. Sonst braucht es ein Ursprungszeugnis.

Erfolgt der Handel über ein Drittland, muss eine Wiederausfuhrbescheinigung ausgestellt werden, welche sich auf die Ausfuhrbewilligung des Ursprungslandes abstützt.

Das Uebereinkommen verpflichtet die Staaten, wissenschaftliche und Vollzugsbehörden für die Zwecke des Uebereinkommens zu bezeichnen und Massnahmen zur Verhinderung eines illegalen Handels zu treffen. Dem Sekretariat mssen Jahresberichte über den Vollzug abgegeben werden.

Für das Ausstellen von Genehmigungen und Bescheinigungen zuständig sind in

• Deutschland:
  Bundesamt für Naturschutz
  Konstantinstrasse 110
  D-53179 Bonn
  Website: http://www.bfn.de


• Österreich:
  Bundesministerium für Klimaschutz, Umwelt, Energie, Mobilität, Innovation und Technologie
  Abt. V/10 – Nationalparks, Natur- und Artenschutz
  Stubenbastei 5<
  A-1010 Wien
  Website: https://www.bmk.gv.at/themen/klima_umwelt/naturschutz/artenhandel/


• Schweiz und Liechtenstein:
  Bundesamt für Lebensmittelsicherheit und Veterinärwesen (BLV)
  Schwarzenburgstr. 155
  3003 BernWebsite: http://www.cites.ch

cites-term

The extinction-in-progress in the wild of the  Barusan Shama Copsychus (malabaricus) melanurus.

FORKTAIL 35 (2019): 30–37.

Summary:

Unsustainable wildlife trade across South-East Asia has contributed significantly to the extinction threats faced by many songbirds. The Barusan Shama Copsychus (malabaricus) melanurus, a highly-prized songster from the West Sumatran Archipelago,is one of the most threatened taxa in Asia’s songbird trade crisis, yet its predicament is often overlooked because some taxonomists treat it as a mere subspecies of the widespread White-rumped Shama C. malabaricus. Here, we provide the first modern comprehensive assessment of the on-the-ground status of Barusan Shamas across all major islands of the West Sumatran Archipelago based on visual and bioacoustic surveys, mist-netting activity, as well as community interviews covering approximately the last five years. A lack of ornithological field records across many years as well as documented drops in local capture rates indicate that increasing poaching pressure and market value have likely driven the Barusan Shama to extinction in the wild on all islands except Siberut. Even on Siberut, we document a drastic population crash and estimate impending extinction in the wild within perhaps five years in the absence of considerable changes in human behaviour. The decline and presumed extermination of some Barusan Shama island populations was so precipitous that it became evident even within our five-year monitoring period.  Although  our  field  efforts  and  those  of  others  must  continue,  this  bird’s  future  now  likely  hinges  on ex  situ  conservation  efforts. The Barusan Shama occurs in four described subspecies, each endemic to its own island group, further complicating conservation efforts. Although the nominate subspecies melanurus remains relatively common in captivity on Nias and Mentawai, the other three subspecies are currently known from captive populations of a magnitude of about 100 for hypolizus, a handful for opisthochrus and zero for mirabilis, casting doubt on whether ex situ efforts can be initiated fast enough to assure the survival of individual subspecies.

rheindt-biblio

International Trade Status and Crisis for Snake Species in China.

Conservation Biology 18 (5): 1386-1394

Abstract:

In recent years, the purchase of snakes for leather, food, and traditional medicine has increased in China, which has greatly reduced certain snake populations. Trade records show that since the 1990s, with respect to some species of snakes, China is changing from a net export country to a net import country. We analyzed data on international trade in snake species, concentrating, in particular, on trade dynamics and species composition. The overall number of snakes exported appears to have decreased in the last 10 years. However, the number of snakes imported during this period has increased steadily. Many species of snakes that are traded in significant numbers are endangered or threatened species. To conserve snakes in China, we recommended that the Chinese government and the international conservation community take the following actions: enhance legislation and list several species in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) appendices; register all snake farms in China; carry out population and market surveys; monitor the dynamics of trade; encourage biological research; encourage change in food habits; and enhance cooperation between Hong Kong and mainland China.

zhou-biblio

International Transport of Live Fish in the Ornamental Aquatic Industry.

126 Seiten, mit zahlreichen Farbfotos, Tabelle und Grafiken.

Ornamental Fish International, Maarssen NL. ISBN: 978-90-75352-70-2. Mittlerweile ist eine 2, erweiterte Auflage verfügbar.

Contents:

All aspects of transporting ornamental fishes are discussed, including the supply chain, the preparation for shipment, fish packaging and treatment on arrival, the volume of trade, the legislation on import and export, as well as facts on mortalities due to transport.

Review  of  non-CITES  reptiles that are known or likely to be in international trade.

A Report to the European Commission.
86 Seiten. UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge.

Einleitung:

This report was conducted in order to identify reptile species which are currently not listed in CITES or the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations, but for which there is evidence of international trade, drawing attention particularly to species which are globally threatened and/or appear to be commonly in trade within the European  Union. Based  on  a  survey  of  24  websites offering reptiles for sale within the EU, 75 species were identified as being commonly in trade (advertised  on  five  or  more  websites) and a further 14 species were less common in trade (advertised on fewer than five websites) but were considered globally threatened in the IUCN Red  List.  In-depth  reviews  were conducted for ten species. The remaining species may besuitable for in-depth reviews in subsequent reports. This work follows-on from two reports on trade in non-CITES amphibians. The first report, a document for SRG 42, provided an overall analysis of amphibian species that are not listed in CITES but for which regional or international trade was considered to be a major threat in the 2007 IUCN  Red  List;  in-depth  reviews were undertaken for 13 species. The second report, SRG 46/8, included in-depth reviews for a further 20 species.

Volltext (PDF)

Conservation Status of Freshwater Turtles in Papua New Guinea.

Asian Turtle Trade: Proceedings of a Workshop on Conservation and Trade of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises in Asia
P.P. van Dijk, B.L. Stuart, and A.G.J. Rhodin, Eds.
Chelonian Research Monographs 2:129–136

General Comments:

Trade in turtles from PNG is strictly regulated by law as proscribed by the Fauna (Protection and Control) Act (Parker, 1981) (this Act is currently in the process of being amended). Papua New Guinea is also a CITES signatory since 1975. All exports of all turtles require permits to be issued by the Conservator of Fauna (currently the Dept. of Environment and Conservation). No turtles are listed by PNG as Protected Species, which would limit legal permitted export to at most 4 animals to legitimate approved zoological institutions. However, all marine turtles and two freshwater turtles, C. insculpta and P. bibroni are listed as Restricted Species, with narrow guidelines limiting any legal export to only a few animals for legitimate scientific purposes. The rest of the non-protected and non-restricted turtle species may be exported only with issued export permits, and then only for approved legitimate scientific and zoological purposes. Export of curios incorporating wildlife parts (e.g., turtle shell masks) also requires export permits.

At least on paper, PNG protects its wildlife and turtle resources fervently from export, with proper concern for their continued utilization at the local level by the native population. Unfortunately, control and enforcement of these regulations is badly lacking, and very few export permits for turtles are actually issued. A search of permits issued during the last 3 years yielded evidence of only a single specimen of E. subglobosa exported to Hawaii in 1996. Permits were also previously obtained in 1987 for export of one C. novaeguineae (actually C. pritchardi), and in 1977 for a few specimens each of C. siebenrocki, C. novaeguineae, E. subglobosa, and E. novaeguineae, with only one specimen each of C. insculpta and P. bibroni (AGJR, pers. obs.).

Trade in New Guinea turtles at present appears to be restricted primarily to the international exotic pet industry. There appear to be significant levels of illegal export trade along the southern PNG – Irian border, as described above for the different species traded along this route. Some of this trade may pass through Daru, an off-shore regional port and air facility with a long history of illegal wildlife trade and also a major regional market for the sale of marine turtle meat. No similar trade appears to occur along the northern PNG – Irian border. The reasons for the difference reflect the higher levels of border control present along the northern border. Illegal export via air or ship from major ports such as Port Moresby probably also occurs, especially for vulnerable species like C. pritchardi which occurs close to Port Moresby. The Dept. of Environment and Conservation has inadequate manpower and resources to inspect and control these probable avenues of illegal trade.

As mentioned above for E. novaeguineae, the international food trade does not yet appear to have significantly impacted populations of turtles in New Guinea. However, as populations of heavily traded species in southeast Asia are depleted, the export routes for the pet trade currently emanating from New Guinea will probably convert and begin to trade increasing amounts of turtles primarily for the food trade. If the freshwater turtle fauna of Papua New Guinea is to continue to survive as a viable and sustainable resource base for utilization by the native population, and if we are to avoid the consumption of this resource in international exotic pet and food markets, then stricter adherence to existing laws and necessary control and inspection at probable export sites needs urgently to be implemented.

Trade Data and Some Comments On the Distribution of Mauremys annamensis (Siebenrock, 1903).

Asiatic Herpetological Research 10: 110-113.

Abstract:

This trade survey of Annam Pond Turtle reveals that this species is likely to have larger distribution than previously thought. The records in the trade in Quy Nhon and Ho Chi Minh City suggest its range could extend much further south. In addition, given the one way south-north trade route, the absence of Mauremys mutica in the trade south of Hai Van Pass and the reported absence of M. annamensis in the trade north of the Pass support the hypothesis that the Pass is the natural barrier for the two species ranges. This hypothesis combined with the long existence of the Pass might indicate that the speciation between the two species happened when their ancestors dispersed across the Pass, and were subsequently isolated, by the means of rafting or walking through narrow land strip emerged during the low sea level period. In terms of conservation, M. annamensis has become much rarer even in the trade, suggesting immediate conservation measures to protect it.