The EU imports a vast number of species protected
under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES) and has a special obligation to ensure that this international
trade does not endanger species and that illegal trade is controlled. Many other
species traded in vast numbers in the EU are not yet even protected in any adequate
manner, despite major conservation and welfare problems.
Enlargement has increased the importance of the EU’s role both in (global)
policy-making and as consumers of large quantities of wildlife. It is expected
that the volume of both legal and illegal wildlife trade will rise within the
EU, in particular in Central Eastern European (CEE) countries. With the expansion
of the EU’s external borders the active cooperation of governmental authorities
as well as non-governmental organizations on both sides to control wildlife
trade is required.
Invited by IFAW the undersigned NGOs attended a regional workshop for NGOs
in CEE countries to assess the challenges and problems from wildlife trade along
the new Eastern EU border and to look at opportunities at the 13th CITES Conference
of the Parties. This meeting was held in Budapest from 8 July to 11 July 2004.
The focus of the workshop was on regional and cross-border concerns, as well
as issues for the upcoming CITES Conference of the Parties in October 2004
The workshop has reached the following conclusions:
While the western part of Europe has lost much of its once rich natural
biodiversity the CEE region still is home to a unique natural richness, which
is threatened now.
The awareness of this natural asset varies widely amongst the governments
and the public. Only a few governments such as Hungary, the host country for
the meeting, have shown leadership in conservation and welfare policies.
Local, national and regional NGOs play an important role in combating wildlife
trade, undertaking conservation projects, rescuing animals in emergencies
and supplying necessary shelter for confiscated individuals. In addition,
NGOs contribute substantially in lobbying and assisting authorities to develop
positive policies and public education.
It was recognized that wildlife crime is committed at an individual level
as well as by international criminal organisations and syndicates. Therefore
international cooperation amongst NGOs was identified as a high priority to
improve the efficiency of conservation and welfare efforts and to combat wildlife
crime in the region. All participants value the opportunity to develop closer
cooperation.
Some of the new EU member countries have stricter domestic wildlife conservation
and animal welfare measures than current EU regulations, which are at risk
of being undermined or even disappearing unless the higher standards of those
countries are adopted EU-wide.
Therefore the participants of the workshop call on the EU and other European
countries’ governments and the EU Commission to adopt for all specimens of species
listed in CITES (Appendix I, II or III) or in the EU Council Regulation (EC)
No. 338/97 (Annex A, B, C or D) the following measures:
Strict documentation and certification requirements, whereby at any time
the legal origin for all specimen of species listed in CITES or the EU Regulation
can be proven anywhere in their territory.
Strict requirements for all specimens from registered captive breeding operations,
including DNA certificates and microchip implementation for all live specimens
(where applicable to the species).
An import ban for all hunting trophies for all CITES-Appendix I and EU Annex
A species is urgently needed to support the conservation needs of these endangered
species, as inter alia ecological and reproductive impacts may be detrimental.
To develop and implement an EU enforcement policy that recognizes the importance
of wildlife crime and illegal imports and internal trade on a level with the
international trafficking of weapons and drugs.
This includes supporting and advising the relevant authorities, including
customs, police, courts etc, to prioritise inspections, controls and action
accordingly and, if necessary, to support changing legislation for more effective
implementation.
The NGOs working in the field of wildlife enforcement wish to encourage
enforcement agencies to accept their assistance and develop networks for most
beneficial cooperation.
Governments and the EU Commission should give adequate support to the Wildlife
Crime Working Group of Interpol to inter alia develop the Ecomessage database.
A system should be developed through which the trade covers the costs of
all necessary enforcement and conservation. This could perhaps be achieved
by a combined system where offenders are obliged to pay for the costs they
generate (including for example for the life-long care of confiscated specimens)
and trade fees.
Special attention was given to the problem of the devastating trade in song
birds, among other bird species, for the food trade in the EU, particularly
in Italy, where these animals are hunted illegally or imported illegally into
EU member states and other countries of the CEE region. It was clearly recognised
and identified that enforcement measures need to be supported and encouraged
in the range states and in the consumption countries. Serious sanctions against
the countries that do not effectively address the problem should be imposed
based on the EU Birds Directive.
Because of the high level and inherent cruelty of the trade in so-called Exotic
Pets, resulting in high mortality and possible detrimental impacts on wild populations,
whether already recognised as threatened species or not, the participants demand
for the EU and individual countries in the region
an import-, export and re-export ban for all wild caught bird species and
an import-, export and re-export ban for all wild caught reptile species.
As many wildlife conservation and welfare problems arise from lack of cooperation
between relevant institutions, the EU Commission and individual governments
of countries in the CEE region
should make cooperation obligatory between their national authorities, particularly
Wildlife Management Authorities, Veterinary Services, Enforcement Agencies,
Customs Authorities, Police and Judicial bodies.
must assist these institutions by supplying relevant coordination and sufficient
resources, training and delegation.
may have to change legislation accordingly, particularly by establishing
and imposing heavy penalties in the case of wildlife crime offences, so that
poachers and illegal traders are clearly discouraged from their wildlife crime
activities.
The governing bodies shall be encouraged to recognise the experience and capacity
of the NGO sector in the region, and to involve NGOs with proven expertise in
the decision-making and implementation process. The NGOs offer their capacity
to assist the official wildlife conservation and welfare efforts. At the same
time those NGOs should be adequately supported, particularly where they engage
in tasks that are government obligations for the conservation and welfare of
wildlife and protection of nature.
Further, all participants in the workshop demand from their governments and
the EU Commission the initiation of a new and unbiased process to assess the
benefits of a reverse listing system by which species listed are only those
which can – under certain well regulated, monitored and controlled conditions
- be traded without the risk of harming any wildlife populations (be it the
population of the species traded or any other species in the ecosystem).
Finally, governments should adopt and support the recommendations of the Species
Survival Network (SSN) for decisions at the up-coming 13th CITES Conference
of the Parties (CoP13) as laid out in detail within their Analysis of Species
and Working Documents.
