The document provides an outline for a presentation on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It defines key terms, provides background on the need for CITES, and outlines the convention's aims, key provisions, implementation challenges, responsibilities of parties, current issues, and conclusion. CITES regulates international trade in endangered plants and animals through permitting and monitoring exports and imports. It lists species in three appendices based on protection needs. The convention aims to ensure trade does not threaten species' survival.

1. PRESENTATION TOPIC
CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN
ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA
BY
KWAME-BINEY MICHAEL
(10398825)
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA
COLLEGE OF BASIC AND APPLIED SCIENCES
SCHOOL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

2. Presentation outline
Definition of Terms
Background to the Convention
Aim
Key provisions of the convention
Implementation and Challenges
Responsibilities and Benefit to parties
Current issues
Conclusion

3. Definition of Terms 1/2
Ecosystem: Community of individuals and the physical
components of the environment in a certain area.
Fauna: Animal life existing in a defined area
Flora: Plant life existing in a defined area.
Threatened Species: Species that are likely to become
an endangered species in the long run.

4. Definition of Terms 2/2
Endangered Species: Species that are vulnerable to
extinction
Extinction: No longer in existence. (Abido and May
2010)

5. Background 1/3
International wildlife trade is a multi-billion-dollar industry with
hundreds of millions of plants and animals traded annually. Live
plants and animals, timber, textiles, food products, leather, and
medicines are traded on the world market every day.
Most of these trades are legal and do not threaten the survival
of the various species of flora or fauna involved. Some of the
international wildlife trade, however, involves the trade of
endangered plants or animals or products derived from them.

6. Background 2/3
In the early and mid twentieth century, the exploitation of wild
flora and fauna, along with the destruction of ecosystems,
resulted in many species becoming endangered or extinct.
The trade of endangered species was often across international
boundaries; this however limited the ability of nations to
effectively control the flow of endangered species in and out of
their countries.

7. Background 3/3
 In 1963, the World Conservation Union or the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) an NGO devoted to
conservation of the environment, passed a resolution calling on
all nations to work together to protect endangered species.
 As a result, on 3rd March 1973 in Washington DC, 80 nations
adopted CITES, an agreement to regulate the international
trade of endangered plants and animals. CITES went into effect
in 1st July, 1975. CITES has widespread international support.
Currently with 183 signed parties to the convention.
Ghana was the 20th country to ratify the convention ( 14th
November 1975)

8. Aim of the convention
The overall aim of the convention is to ensure that
international trade does not threaten the survival of the
species in the wild
It achieves this by regulating and monitoring exports and
imports of live and dead plants and animals and their
derivatives.

9. Key Provision of the Convention 1/4
 CITES consist of 22 Articles and 3 Appendices.
These appendices are classified according to the
degree of protection needed.

10. Key Provision of the Convention 2/4
Article 2: Fundamental Principles
Under this convention:
Appendix I shall include species threatened with extinction.
Appendix II shall include species threatened but not extinct and
such species would be subject to strict regulations to avoid
utilization incompatible with their survival
Appendix III shall include species that should at least be
protected by one country.
Also Parties shall not allow trade species included in
Appendices I, II and III except in accordance with the provisions
of the present convention.

11. Key Provision of the Convention 3/4
Articles 3-5: Regulation of Species
Under this convention all trade in species included in Appendix I
shall be managed by authorities of the state and it would be
ensured that exports were not obtained in contravention of the
laws of that state for the protection of fauna and flora.
Exports of species under appendix II shall require the prior
grant and presentation of export permit which shall be granted
when there is approval by both the scientific and management
authority that provision has been made for a safer shipping of
the species.

12. Key Provision of the Convention 4/4
Articles 3-5: Regulation of Species
Also the import of any specimen of species included in
Appendix III shall require the prior presentation of a certificate
of origin and where the import is from a state which has
included that species in appendix 3 can be exported.

13. Appendix I (Species threatened with extinction)
(300 ANIMALS AND 300 PLANT SPECIES)
 Atlantic Halibut
 Acadian Redfish
 White Skate
 Maltese Ray
 Bluefin Tuna
 Hawksbil Turtle (Eretmochelys
imbricate)
 Kemp’s Ridley
 Blue whale
 Asian Surf grass
 Red algae (Gracilaria skottsbergii)
 Sea grass (Zostera Chilensis)
 Johnsons sea grass
 Tumu Berau (Mangrove)
 Eyelash seaweed
 Sea kale

14. Appendix II (Species that are not threatened by
extinction but can experience serious decline in
number if trade is not restricted
(1400 ANIMALS AND 25000 PLANTS SPECIES)
 Kingfish
 Stumpnoses
 Breams
 Sharks
 Lampreys
 Seahorses.
 Ray-finned fish
 White Abalone
 Staghorn coral
 Nymphaea lotus
 Armeria helodes
 Utricularia inflexa
 Apium repens

15. Appendix III (species are protected in at least
one country that is a CITES member).
(270 ANIMAL SPECIES AND 30 PLANTS SPECIES)
Ghana- Humpback whale, Manatees
South Africa – Sharks, kingfish
Australia – Galaxias
Cameroon- Seahorses
China- Rayfinned fishes
Tanzania- Barbus

16. Implementation 1/3
 Ever since the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora came into effect
in 1975, it has provided a framework for the regulating and
monitoring trade of wildlife within which the contracting
parties have had more success of preventing illegal trade
practices with the help of other international bodies.
 In order to ensure that trade procedures and rules are
implemented CITES works with the General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The secretariat of GATT is also
consulted during drafting process to ensure that GATT rules
are also not violated.

17. Implementation 2/3
 Also in accordance with Article 6 of the convention where
appropriate and feasible, a management authority may affix a
mark upon any specimen to assist in identifying the specimen
so as to render its imitation by unauthorized persons as difficult
as possible.
 According to Article 9 of the convention each party shall
designate for the purpose of the present convention one or
more management authority competent to grant permits or
certificates on behalf of that party and one or more scientific
authorities.

18. Implementation 3/3
According to Article 12 conference of the parties will contribute
to the implementation of the present convention including
studies concerning standards for appropriate preparation and
shipment of living specimen and the means to identifying
specimen.
CITES as an international body works closely with other groups
on issues that need multidisciplinary expertise. Some of which
include the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity,
the Convention of Migratory Species, the UNESCO world heritage
Convention

19. Challenges 1/2
With 183 nations participating, CITES is one of the most important
international conservation agreements. Relatively few species out
of tens of thousands of species that are listed under Appendices I
and II over the past 35 years have become extinct in the wild.
Despite its success and high participation rate, CITES still has
critics.
Some critics assert that CITES often undermines its own
conservation efforts in three major ways. First, placing a particular
species of flora or fauna on Appendix I or II can lead to an increase
in its value on the black market. An increase in value results in
increased poaching and illegal sale of that species Eg. Shark fin.

20. Challenges 2/2
 Second, critics assert that split grouping of a species may
lead to laundering of plants and animals. Split grouping
occurs when a species is placed on Appendix I in one
country and Appendix II in another country. An animal
captured or killed in the Appendix I country may then be
taken to the Appendix II country for sale on the
international market
CITES only addresses the trade of endangered species and
does not address loss of habitat or other issues that may
lead to extinction.

21. Responsibilities of Parties 1/4
 CITES requires individual countries to adopt their own laws and
enforcement mechanisms to prevent the trade of endangered
species of flora and fauna and penalties for those who trade in
endangered species
According to article 8, parties shall
 make provisions to provide for the confiscation or return to the
state of export of such specimen.

22. Responsibilities of Parties 2/4
 As far as possible, ensure that specimen shall pass through every
formalities required for trade with a minimum of delay. To ensure
this, parties may designate ports of exit and ports of entry at which
specimens must be presented for clearance .
 Ensure further that all living specimen during any period of transit,
holding or shipment are properly cared for so as to minimize the
risk of injury, damage to health or cruel treatment.

23. Responsibilities of Parties 3/4
According to article 8 parties shall:
 Maintain records of trade in specimens of species included in
Appendices I, II and III which shall cover the names and addresses
of exporters and importer
 Also make sure permits and certificates are provided by exporters.
 The size and sex of specimen are to be recorded.

24. Responsibilities of Parties 4/4
 Prepare periodic reports on its implementation of the present
convention and shall transmit to the secretariat the annual report
containing summary of the information specified in this article.
 Submit a report on legislative, regulatory and administrative
measures taken to enforce the provisions of the present
convention.

25. Benefit to Parties
Building capacity for activities in key areas, such as effective of
States in responsibilities, monitoring, control and surveillance,
data collection and scientific research relevant threatened or
endangered species national and/or a regional level
The least developed parties benefits from the trainings,
facilities and equipment provided.
Signatories enjoy assistance from other parties in combating
illegal trade and over exploitation
Information and Intelligence sharing on wildlife trade.
Species based interagency support eg FAO-CITES (Cornick and
Kendal, 2008)

26. Current issues
Research in new tools to help parties trace sources of some
endangered species in order to promote responsible trade
and better GATT tariffs
Currently CITES is creating an initiative to improve
regulation of trade in captive-raised animals and artificially
propagated plants
 Also CITES is organizing international technical workshop
for the protection of eels to be held in London, UK

27. Conclusion
 Participation in CITES is voluntary, but once a nation becomes a
party to CITES, that nation is legally bound under the
convention to help conserve, sustain and ensure proper trade
ethics of wildlife species.
Also it helps issues concerning the use of technology in
monitoring, developmental discussions and benefit-sharing .
CITES help set policies and general responsibilities, and
organizes technical and financial cooperation. Implementation
of the convention, however, is required at the national level.
Therefore individual countries have to find a better way of
combating issues with illegal trade practices

28. References
 Abido and May (2010). Illegal Trade in Marine Mammals in Japan. Journal
of management, Access, and Conservation of Species in Trade.
 Cornick and Saxon-Kendall, L. (2008). Distribution, Habitat Use and
Behavior of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales in Knik Arm, Fall.
 Funk DW, TM Markowitz, R Rodrigues. (2005). Baseline studies of beluga
whale habitat use in Knik Arm, Upper Cook Inlet, Alaska
 Prevel Ramos AP, TM Markowitz, DW Funk, MR Link.( 2006). Monitoring
beluga sharks at the Port of Anchorage

29. THANK YOU