Species protection conference nevertheless overall success
European Union's proposal for stricter protection for sharks failed to be adopted at the species protection conference in The Hague. Head of the German delegation, Jochen Flasbarth, expressed his disappointment in the outcome. "A majority of fishing nations established a link between the shark proposals and the discussions on the whaling moratorium in the International Whaling Commission (IWC). We were within reach of a solution on the cape shark, but this was wrecked in the last minute by the bloc of fishing nations, after the EU stood by its position on the whaling moratorium."
Flasbarth, who also represented the German EU Presidency in The Hague, nevertheless considered the meeting of the Conference of the Parties a great success overall: "important measures were adopted, especially for marine species and the protection of forests. The breakthrough in elephant protection with the nine-year moratorium on ivory trade will also help future meetings of the COP to focus on strategically important issues of global species protection."
The Parties to CITES also adopted strict trade regulations for the European eel. Germany's proposal on behalf of the EU met with broad agreement.
The conference in The Hague also improved protection of other endangered marine animals such as the sawfish, with strict controls on trade.
On the initiative of the German EU Presidency, the conference agreed on a binding action plan for trade with three South American wood species, including the frequently traded tropical cedar wood. The countries of origin agree to draw up a detailed register of the stocks of the tree species and submit data on trade. At the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties measures on the conservation and sustainable use of these timbers are to be agreed.
With the support of the German EU Presidency, strict regulations for trading with the Brazilian timber Brazilwood were also adopted. The wood of this tree species is used to make high quality bows for string instruments. Finished bows are exempt from these rules, so that orchestras are not subject to documentation obligations when on international tours.
The delegates also laid down future strategic goals and key work areas. Under the heading "strategic vision 2008-2013" the Conference adopted a new political direction in the new millennium, in order to more closely link the objectives of other international agreements with the goals of CITES. These include, for example, the United Nations millennium goals and the goal laid down at the 2002 World Summit in Johannesburg to significantly reduce the loss of biological diversity by 2010. "In this way the Parties to CITES are giving it greater weight," said Flasbarth. "They have an instrument which can harmonise species protection and internationally agreed goals on the conservation of biological diversity."
Further information:
- Press Release as at 14.06.2007: Species Protection Conference decides on 9-Year Moratorium on Ivory Trade
- Press Release as at 03.06.2007: Fish, whales, tropical wood: the conference in The Hague focuses on the conservation of endangered species