1. Scientific Authority for CITES Tasks and methods in the Netherlands

2. CITES overview
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora
181 countries (including entire EU)
Avoiding extinction due to international trade
Strict regulation via permit system
Approximately species
Widely considered a successful convention

3. CITES, EU and Netherlands
CITES-convention:
Management Authority (permitting body)
Scientific Authority (advising MA, independent of MA)
CITES Secretariat (Switzerland)
Translated into EU Directives 338/97 (Scientific Research Group or SRG) and 865/2006
Translated into Dutch Nature Conservation Act (Wet natuurbescherming)

4. Scientific Authority NL
Independent authority
At least 5 and at most 9 specialists, plus a secretary
Appointed by Deputy Minister Economic Affairs
Maximum 3 x 4 years
Mostly unpaid work

5. Process Request for advice from MA Registration Literature study
Sources:
Previous advices
European “opinions”
Databases UN/WCMC
IUCN Red Data List
CITES trade database
(Scientific) literature
European SAs
Exporting countries
Other specialists
Internet
Draft advice
Input from members
Advice to MA

6. Statistics From request to advice usually < 4 weeks
When consulting third parties > 4 weeks
Annually requests from MA
Each request concerns 1-5 species
Thus, roughly > 400 advices per year
Mainly corals, plants (snow drops, orchids), reptiles and amphibians

7. Most common advices Article 4.2.a 338/97 Non-detriment finding or NDF
Article 54/56 865/2006 Origin (A, F or C)
Article 9.2.a 338/97 Adequate housing and caring (Annex A, origins W, F or U)
Article 5.4 (5.2.a) 338/97 Export NDF
The requests for advices by the MA have their basis in the CITES convention, and thus in the European Directives.

8. Article 4.2.a (NDF)
Issuance of an import permit for Appendix I and II species requires that the Scientific Authority establishes that the import will not have a harmful effect on the conservation status or range size of the species (“non-detriment finding”).

9. Article 4.2.a (NDF) Conservation status of the species (e.g., IUCN)
Vulnerability to trade
Trade level
NDF exporting country

10. Article 4.2.a (NDF) 1. Conservation status of the species:
IUCN conservation status (CR, EN, VU, NT, LC, DD)
Population trend
Range size
Habitat (e.g., early or late succesional habitat)
Reproduction
Threats

11. Article 4.2.a (NDF) 2. Vulnerability to trade:
Balearica pavonina: Range size contracted 22-33% over the last 20 years. Beilfuss et al. 2007: “Trade is considered as one of the main reasons for the decline.”.

12. Article 4.2.a (NDF) 2. Vulnerability to trade:
Encephalartos spp.: Small ranges

13. Article 4.2.a (NDF) 2. Vulnerability to trade:
Phelsuma spp.: Several adaptive species. For example, P. dubia: “can also be found near human dwellings”.

14. Article 4.2.a (NDF) 2. Vulnerability to trade:
Pandinus imperator: Slow reproduction (K-strategy) and easily collected in large quantities.

15. Article 4.2.a (NDF) 3. Trade level:
Legal trade (CITES trade database;
Illegal trade
Quota enforced

16. Article 4.2.a (NDF) 4. Non-detriment finding exporting country:
Often unavailable ( EU NDF imports Appendix B)
Availability and reliability range and trend data
Management (e.g., legislation, quota)
Enforcement

17. Article 4.2.a (NDF)
Conclusion of Article 4.2.a 338/97 advice: Import does (not) have a harmful effect on the wild populations. Sometimes in combination with restrictions (body size, validity period, within quota).

18. Article 54/56
Issuance of an import permit for specimens with origin A, F or C requires that the origin is plausible.
Global breeding results
EU captive breeding database
Actual trade in A, F or C
Availability of W, price
Supply versus demand

19. Article 54/56 Often specific information from breeder is required:
Enclosures
Husbandry (e.g., social groups, diet, incubation)
Numbers and origin of founders
Additions of W
Annual production

20. Article 54/56 Dendrobates pumilio: Highly territorial
Tadpoles require eggs from female
Froglets require large amounts of small food items
Easy to collect in the wild
High demand for new morphs

21. Article 54/56 Dracaena guianensis: Natural nesting in termite mounts
Little captive breeding
Little supply, increasing demand

22. Article 54/56
Specific permit requirements to ensure origin A, F or C.

23. Article 54/56
Maximum size
Difficult to capture small individuals in large quantities in the wild
Sale at small size common to reduce costs of maintenance

24. Article 54/56
Closed bird rings

25. Article 54/56
Presence of cataphylls
Tillandsia xerographica

26. Article 54/56 Enforcement Parasites or wounds (reptiles)
Age (worn shells in old chelonians)
Composition of poison in dart frogs
Stable isotopes in chelonian shells

27. Article 5.4 (5.2.a) Exports from the Netherlands
Re-exports reptiles and amphibians from many other EU countries
Almost exclusively origins F and C

28. European coordination: SRG
Positive advice  MA can issue permit
Negative advice  MA cannot issue permit
SA informs the European Commission
European Commission informs all EU member states
After 10 days, negative opinion SRG for all member states (immediate suspension)
In case member states do not agree: refer to next SRG meeting

29. Validity of advices
In general: 5 years for country/species combination. Unless:
Change in opinion of SRG
Change in quota or actual trade
New information
Annex A species (case-by-case advices)

30. Questions?