C.I.T.E.S. was ratified on July 1, 1975. This treaty is a cooperative agreement between many countries for the protection of plant and animal species.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was put in effect on July 1, 1975. This treaty is a global pact developed to protect threatened and endangered species from being caused further demise due to the import and export trade.
The trade in animals and animal products was a multi-billion dollar industry and the hunting of animals was intense. This intensity caused populations to be reduced to the point where they were in danger of extinction. Some examples are the rhino, tiger and gorilla. These populations were so over-exploited, that recovery is not likely.
CITES has three appendices that define the permits required for any trade in certain types of plants or animals. Appendix I covers species that are endangered or extremely rare, and would almost never allow commercial export of such a species. If the export is allowed, the importer would have to have a Convention export permit from the government of the country doing the exporting and a CITES import permit issued by the country of the importer. Appendix II is for species that are not currently endangered but could be if trade or hunting is not regulated. A Convention export permit from the exporting country is required for these species. Appendix III regulates trade for species that are not endangered, but are being regulated by the export nation to prevent over-exploitation. A Convention export permit is required for these species.
If there is a species of animal or plant that is listed under Appendix I, but it has been bred or grown in captivity for commercial purposes, it can be placed under Appendix II. States are to have a Management Authority for the monitoring of CITES. When species are being loaned or donated between scientific institutions and the Management Authority has registered the institution, then the Appendix provisions can be waived.
CITES defines a species as the living plant or animal, its constituent parts or even derivatives. When a species is listed on a permit, its scientific name is required by the Customs Act for accuracy. The categories of species used for the permitting process are; mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates and plants.
Article VIII of CITES provides for penalizing or confiscating exported species that are listed under the various Appendices and to ship or return such species with a minimum of delay. The species are to be cared for in such a method as to eliminate risk of injury or stress. When a species is confiscated, the Management Authority is to take control of the plants or animals and return them to their place of origin.
Any country or state has the choice of not agreeing to the regulations of CITES, but must put their denouncement in writing. Those countries or states that enter into a CITES agreement will all receive certified copies of the agreement signed by all the participating parties. A depositary government will be responsible for the security and maintenance of this document. There are about 152 countries that are participating in the CITES ban on commercial import and export of documented species. Since its beginning, the CITES process has been and continues to be successful, although illegal activities will always persist.
