https://www.cites.org/eng/news...-conference_16072018



PRESS RELEASE

Global experts meet to review international trade in wildlife before the next major CITES conference


Geneva, 16 July 2018 – A record number of experts and scientists representing all the regions of the world are meeting in Geneva from 16 to 26 July for the 30th meeting of the Animals Committee and the 24th meeting of the Plants Committee of CITES - the world’s wildlife trade Convention.

The meetings will pay particular attention to the trade management of marine species, including eels, corals and sharks; trophy hunting, with a focus on leopards and lions; and high-value forestry resources, such as rosewood, ebony and palisander timbers, and medicinal plants.

“This will be the last time that the two scientific committees of CITES meet before the next World Wildlife Conference, CITES CoP18, is held in Sri Lanka in May 2019. The Committees will consider how best to regulate global trade in a wide range of key-stone species of wild animals and plants.”, said Tom De Meulenaer, Chief of Scientific Services at the CITES Secretariat. “CITES-listed wildlife is traded as food, furniture, medicine, wood, tourist souvenirs, clothing, pets, etc. Our scientific committees examine the sustainability of this trade, and formulate technical and scientific advice for consideration by the 183 Parties to the Convention.”

The Animals Committee is celebrating its 30th meeting anniversary. The first meeting of this Committee took place in 1988 in a small classroom in the Municipal Zoo in Bern, Switzerland with just 20 participants. For the 30th meeting, there are some 360 people registered to attend, demonstrating the ever-growing interest in the work of the scientific committees. Robust science is the backbone of CITES and its decision-making processes, and is receiving the global attention that it deserves.

Note to editors:

For more information and to arrange interviews, please contact Liu Yuan at +41 22 917 8130 or yuan.liu@cites.org

About CITES

With 183 Parties, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) remains one of the world's most powerful tools for wildlife conservation through the regulation of trade. Thousands of species are internationally traded and used by people in their daily lives for food, health care, housing, tourist souvenirs, cosmetics or fashion.

CITES regulates international trade in over 36,000 species of plants and animals, including their products and derivatives, to ensure their survival in the wild with benefits for the livelihoods of local people and the global environment. The CITES permit system seeks to ensure that international trade in listed species is sustainable, legal and traceable.

CITES was signed in Washington D.C. on 3 March 1973 and entered into force on 1 July 1975.

Learn more about CITES by visiting www.cites.org or connecting to:

https://cites.org/sites/defaul.../ac/30/E-AC30-25.pdf



Link to African lions.

https://cites.org/sites/defaul.../ac/30/E-AC30-15.pdf


Link to leopards.

https://cites.org/sites/defaul.../30/E-AC30-15-A6.pdf


Link to Zimbabwe leopard export quota review.

https://cites.org/sites/defaul.../30/E-AC30-15-A5.pdf


Link to Zambia leopard export quota review.

https://cites.org/sites/defaul.../30/E-AC30-15-A4.pdf


Link to Tanzania leopard export quota review.

https://cites.org/sites/defaul.../30/E-AC30-15-A3.pdf


Link to South Africa leopard export quota review.

https://cites.org/sites/defaul.../30/E-AC30-15-A2.pdf



Link to Namibia leopard quota export review.

https://cites.org/sites/defaul.../30/E-AC30-15-A1.pdf

Link to Mozambique leopard export quota review.

Thanks Kathi!

+1

Of course, whatever is decided makes no difference to Americans. The USFWS knows better than any CITES committee or African country’s wildlife experts. They will decide what’s best for the worlds wildlife.

South African Leopard..illegal poaching? South African's? What a shock....NOT!

Threats
At present, the illegal killing of leopards for skins and other body parts for traditional
ceremonies and medicines is believed to be the major threat facing leopard within South
Africa, and more widely across southern Africa (Hunter, et al., 2013). Leopard skins are used
in ceremonial wear by a number of cultural and religious groups in KwaZulu-Natal and
Swaziland, most notably the Nazareth Baptist ‘Shembe’ Church. Mark-resight surveys
undertaken at religious gatherings of the ‘Shembe’ church suggest that there are
3
approximately between 13,000 and 18,000 illegal leopard skins in circulation among church
members.
Other threats to leopard in South Africa include excessive off‐takes (legal and illegal) of
putative damage causing animals (DCAs) (Balme, et al., 2009, St John, et al., 2011, Thorn,
et al., 2013, Swanepoel, et al., 2014b; Williams, et al., 2017), the unethical radio-collaring of
leopards for research and tourism (Balme, et al., 2014), and habitat loss and fragmentation
due to the development of urban areas, mines and agriculture (Di Minin, et al., 2013,
Swanepoel, et al., 2013, McManus, et al., 2015; Williams, et al., 2017). In the Western Cape,
the loss of wilderness areas is resulting in reduced habitat for leopard prey such as hyrax
and small antelopes, increasing the likelihood of leopards relying on livestock for food
(Martins & Martins, 2006).
e. Illegal off-take
It is estimated that as many as 1500 - 2500 leopards are illegally harvested annually to meet
the demand for skins by the Nazareth Baptist ‘Shembe’ Church; The illegal killing of putative
DCAs is typically indiscriminate, the scale of which is currently unknown since illegal off-take
of leopards is poorly monitored, if at all.

quote:

Of course, whatever is decided makes no difference to Americans. The USFWS knows better than any CITES committee or African country’s wildlife experts. They will decide what’s best for the worlds wildlife.

Spot on jdollar!

As in Algebra:
X = an unknown quantity
As in Plumbing:
Spurt = a drip under pressure.

As in wildlife issues:
Expert = an unknown drip under pressure.