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POTENTIAL LISTING OF STURGEONS ON APPENDIX II OF CITES (CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA) CITES ( the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international treaty whose purpose is to regulate trade in certain wildlife and plant species and their products, so that the survival of those species is not threatened. The United States, as a Party to CITES and a major importer of Russian caviar, is co-sponsoring with the government of Germany a proposal to include all species of sturgeons not presently listed in any of the CITES appendices in Appendix II. This proposal will be voted on at the next CITES Conference in June and, if adopted, will take effect at the end of September, 1997. The proposal was motivated by the dire situation currently facing sturgeons of the Caspian Sea, the source of 90% of the world's caviar. Populations of these species, such as Beluga and Russian sturgeons, have been plummeting in recent years due to poorly regulated fisheries. Because of the difficulty of distinguishing caviar among different sturgeon species, it is necessary to list all other species of sturgeons (including those of North America) in Appendix II because of similarity of appearance. What will this mean for commercial trade in sturgeons or sturgeon products produced in the United States? For domestic trade within the United States, this listing will have no effect whatever. For export to other countries, however, an export permit will need to be obtained in advance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for each shipment. This is presently the case for paddlefish and Atlantic sturgeon, because they are already listed on Appendix II. But for other species, such as white or shovelnose sturgeon, this will be a new requirement. The current fee for each export permit is $25. This is in addition to the licensing and port inspection fees presently required for any export. Before a permit can be issued, the Service must make a finding that the export will not be detrimental to the species that the listing is intended to protect, i.e., the sturgeons of the Caspian Sea. The Service expects that such a finding can be made quickly and easily for most cases of export of sturgeons or sturgeon products originating in domestic aquaculture facilities. Nonetheless we want the industry to be aware of these new requirements so that they can plan accordingly. At this time, the Service is seeking information that will enable it to develop appropriate ways of expediting the permitting process, so that commercial interests are not unduly inconvenienced. We presently have only limited knowledge of the nature and magnitude of sturgeon aquaculture industry in the United States. We need your input and comments, so that we can better anticipate the workload and design the most effective permitting process that accommodates your special needs and concerns. You can help us by describing what and how much you anticipate exporting and whether there are any particular problems, such as product perishability, that we need to be aware of. Please send your comments to the attention of Marshall Howe, Office of Scientific Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 750, Arlington, VA 22203. CITES* APPENDIX II What it isn't: * A list of endangered species. * A list of species in which international trade is prohibited. What it is: * A list of species that may be traded internationally but are considered prone enough to over-utilization that trade should be regulated. [The trade in alligator products and the trade in ginseng are two examples of thriving international commerce in species listed in Appendix II in the United States]. How it works: * The exporter must obtain a CITES export permit for each shipment from the national CITES authority (for the United States: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Management Authority). The present fee for a permit application in the U.S. is $25. * Two kinds of findings must be made by the CITES authorities before the export permit can be issued: 1. A scientific finding of non-detriment, meaning that data or expert scientific opinion on the biological status of the species indicates that the export is unlikely to be detrimental to the survival of the species. Depending on the species and the magnitude of exports anticipated, non-detriment findings are made either on specific applications or generically (for all potential exports collectively). Generic findings may advise that a quota (maximum allowable number) or other export limitation mechanism be imposed, to ensure that exports remain non-detrimental to the survival of the species. 2. A finding that the specimens were acquired legally, meaning evidence that the specimens to be exported were not obtained in violation of any state, federal, or other jurisdictional law. * Shipments of live animals must be designed to minimize risk of injury, damage to health, or cruel treatment. In the case of air transport, the specimens must be shipped in accordance with International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulations. CITES* APPENDIX II Special Cases: * Similarity of Appearance: Sometimes species must be listed in Appendix II in order to enable effective enforcement of trade in other listed species. This type of listing is mainly necessary in cases where species similar in appearance to those listed cause identification difficulties. For these species, the scientific non-detriment finding is based on the risk their export presents to listed species they look like. * Captive-breeding: Because the concern of CITES is the impact of export on wild populations of animals included in the Appendices, it is generally much easier for the CITES authorities to make the appropriate export findings for animals produced in captivity. However, it must be noted that captive-breeding operations vary widely in the extent to which they need to draw upon wild populations to establish, expand, or maintain their breeding stock. Although permit applications will be processed in a timely manner, the total time required will vary accordingly. Potential impacts of Appendix II export controls on commercial Interests: * Occasionally, available information is insufficient to enable the CITES authorities to make a scientific finding of no detriment. This results in denial of a permit application or, in the case of a generic finding, issuance of a zero export quota. This is most likely to happen in the case of species that are (a) naturally vulnerable to harvest from the wild because of certain biological limitations, (b) harvested in large numbers, and (c) not subject to a management program or other mechanism of assuring a sustainable trade. Benefits of Appendix II export controls to commercial interests: * Export controls associated with an Appendix II listing benefit commercial interests in at least two ways: by providing an element of assurance that commercial use will be sustainable in perpetuity. Furthermore, the Appendix II permit means approval by CITES and conveys a message to consumers that the exporter is conservation-minded and environmentally responsible. This image can be a distinct asset in many markets and is never a disadvantage. *Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora The following publications may be of interest to you and others. Please share this information with others who may be interested. Open Ocean Aquaculture: Proceedings of an International Conference, Portland, Maine, May 8-10, 1996. UNHMP-CP-SG-96-9, pp. 642. Cost $20. Checks payable to UNH. Submit request to: UNH Cooperative Extension, 113 North Road, Brentwood, NH 03833-6623, USA. For more information call (603) 679-5616 or fax (603) 679-8070. CRS Report to Congress: Aquaculture and the Federal Role, April 9, 1997 by Geoffrey Becker and Eugene Buck, Congressional Research Service, 97-436 ENR, pp. 27. For a copy contact your Congressional Office and for more information about this report contact Geoff Becker at 202/707-7287 or email: gbecker@crs.loc.gov |