Federal Register on CITES Comment Deadline 9/11/09

Tigers and bobcats especially need your voice before September 11, 2009.

Please send a letter to both of these addresses:

Div of Management Authority, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Svc 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 212 Arlington, VA 22203 or via e-mail at: CoP15@fws.gov or via fax at: 703-358-2298.

Div of Scientific Authority, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Svc 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 110 Arlington, VA 22203 or via e-mail at: scientificauthority@fws.gov or via fax at: 703-358-2276.

Sample Letter

To: USFWS Re: CoP15 FWS-R9-IA-2009-N0103; 96300-1671-0000 FY09 R4

Thank you for considering measures to help protect the tiger and other exotic cats.  I am writing specifically about tigers and bobcats, but the perils they face include all species of exotic cats.  In the case of the tiger, there are U.S. facilities that openly market lion meat in restaurants such as Spotos in Dunedin, FL, Czimer’s in Chicago, IL and on the Internet at 1/800-Steaks.com.  No one can discern between lion meat (legal) and tiger meat (illegal)

Tigers: There are less than 3,500 tigers left in the wild and we are losing one tiger per day to poaching.  The demand for tiger parts has continued to rise as developing nations have become more affluent.  China is the largest consumer of illegal tiger parts with the U.S. running a close second.  The private possession of live tigers in China and the U.S. have provided a legal cover for an illegal trade.  Until such practices are banned there will be no way to effectively protect the tiger in the wild.  Demand for tiger parts will always place a higher value on authentic, wild caught tigers.  Killing a tiger in the wild is much cheaper than raising a tiger to a size necessary to fill demand when it costs $7,500 a year to feed and care for a captive tiger.

These must be done to save the tiger:

1.  Ban the private possession of tigers.
2.  Repeal the exemption for “generic” tigers from the Captive Bred Wildlife permit requirement and require that all tigers be registered in a publicly accessible database, accounted for during their life and upon death, microchipped, and kept from breeding outside of AZA sanctioned Species Survival Plans.
3.   Demand that all who parties who possess more than 8 tigers at any one facility provide a written plan for how they will immediately stop breeding and begin scaling back on their numbers of tigers held by placing them in legitimate sanctuaries that are open to public scrutiny.

Bobcats: Due to the Russian demand for bobcat fur, their pelts now draw some of the highest prices among trapped furs, commanding as much as $550 for a single hide. As the price has gone up, the number of bobcat skins exported by the U.S. has nearly tripled in five years, to 49,700 in 2006.  Some trappers are capturing bobcats in states with quotas and bringing them to Wyoming, which has no limits, said Scott Adell, a Wyoming Game and Fish Department investigator.  Bobcats live in areas where the endangered Canada Lynx is struggling against extinction and the same traps that are set for bobcats injure and kill their endangered cousins.  For this reason the bobcat should not be removed from Appendix II protection.

 

You can send this letter via our Click and Send form HERE

Using your own words to say the same thing however are much more powerful.  You can edit this letter by copying and pasting or you can edit the online version by adding your own text.

 

Background

Edited down to portions that concern exotic cats.

https://www.epa.gov/EPA-SPECIES/2009/July/Day-13/

[Federal Register: July 13, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 132)]
[Notices]
[Page 33460-33464]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13jy09-95]

———————————————————————–

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R9-IA-2009-N0103; 96300-1671-0000 FY09 R4]

Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); Fifteenth Regular Meeting: Proposed Resolutions, Decisions, and Agenda Items Being Considered; Taxa Being Considered for Amendments to the CITES Appendices; Observer Information

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.

———————————————————————–

SUMMARY: The United States, as a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), may submit proposed resolutions, decisions, and agenda items for consideration at meetings of the Conference of the Parties to CITES. The United States may also propose amendments to the CITES Appendices for consideration at meetings of the Conference of the Parties. The fifteenth regular meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP15) is tentatively scheduled to be held in Doha, Qatar, March 13-25, 2010.

With this notice, we describe proposed resolutions, decisions, and agenda items that the United States is considering submitting for consideration at CoP15; describe proposed amendments to the CITES
Appendices (species proposals) that the United States is considering submitting for consideration at CoP15; invite your comments and information on these proposals; and provide information on how nongovernmental organizations based in the United States can attend CoP15 as observers.

DATES: We will consider written information and comments you submit concerning potential species proposals, and proposed resolutions, decisions, and agenda items that the United States is considering
submitting for consideration at CoP15, and other items relating to CoP15, if we receive them by September 11, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Comments pertaining to proposed resolutions, decisions, and agenda items should be sent to the Division of Management Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 212,
Arlington, VA 22203, or via e-mail at: CoP15@fws.gov or via fax at:
703-358-2298. Comments pertaining to species proposals should be sent to the Division of Scientific Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 110, Arlington, VA 22203, or via
e-mail at: scientificauthority@fws.gov or via fax at: 703-358-2276.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information pertaining to resolutions, decisions, and agenda items contact: Robert R. Gabel, Chief, Division of Management Authority, phone 703-358-2095, fax 703-
358-2298, e-mail: CoP15@fws.gov. For information pertaining to species proposals contact: Rosemarie Gnam, Chief, Division of Scientific Authority, phone 703-358-1708, fax 703-358-2276, scientificauthority@fws.gov

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, hereinafter referred to as CITES or the Convention, is an international treaty designed to control and regulate international trade in certain animal and plant species that are now or potentially may be threatened with extinction. These species are listed in Appendices to CITES, which are available on the CITES Secretariat’s website at https://www.cites.org/eng/app/index.shtml Currently, 175 countries, including the United States, are Parties to CITES. The Convention calls for biennial meetings of the Conference of the Parties, which reviews its implementation, makes provisions enabling the CITES Secretariat in Switzerland to carry out its functions, considers amendments to the lists of species in Appendices I and II, considers reports presented by the Secretariat, and makes recommendations for the improved effectiveness of CITES. Any country that is a Party to CITES may propose for these meetings amendments to Appendices I and II, and resolutions, decisions, and agenda items for consideration by all the Parties.
This is our second in a series of Federal Register notices that, together with an announced public meeting, provide you with an opportunity to participate in the development of the U.S. negotiating positions for the fifteenth regular meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP15). We published our first CoP15-related Federal Register notice on September 29, 2008 (73 FR 56605), in which we requested information and recommendations on species proposals and proposed resolutions, decisions, and agenda items for the United States to consider submitting for consideration at CoP15. You may obtain information on that Federal Register notice from the following sources: for information on proposed resolutions, decisions, and agenda items,
contact the Division of Management Authority at the address provided in “ADDRESSES” above; and for information on species proposals, contact the Division of Scientific Authority at the address provided in
“ADDRESSES” above. Our regulations governing this public process are found in 50 CFR 23.87.
CoP15 is tentatively scheduled to be held in Doha, Qatar, March 13- 25, 2010.

[[Page 33461]]

I. Recommendations for Resolutions, Decisions, and Agenda Items for the United States To Consider Submitting for CoP15

In our Federal Register notice published on September 29, 2008 (73 FR 56605), we requested information and recommendations on potential resolutions, decisions, and agenda items for the United States to
submit for consideration at CoP15. We received recommendations for resolutions, decisions, and agenda items from the following organizations: the Species Survival Network (SSN); TRAFFIC; the Whale
and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS); and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). We also received a comment from one individual.
We considered all of the recommendations of the above individual and organizations, as well as the factors described in the U.S. approach for CoP15 discussed in our September 29, 2008, Federal Register notice, when compiling a list of resolutions, decisions, and agenda items that the United States is likely to submit for
consideration by the Parties at CoP15; and lists of resolutions, decisions, and agenda items for consideration at CoP15 that the United States either is currently undecided about submitting, is not considering submitting at this time, or plans to address in other ways.
The United States may consider submitting documents for some of the issues for which it is currently undecided or not considering submitting at this time, depending on the outcome of discussions of
these issues in the CITES Animals, Plants, and Standing Committees, or additional consultations with range country governments and subject matter experts.
Please note that, in sections A, B, and C below, we have listed those resolutions, decisions, and agenda items that the United States is likely to submit, currently undecided about submitting, or currently planning not to submit. We have posted an extended version of this notice on our website at https://www.fws.gov/international/newspubs/fedregnot.html with text describing in more detail each of these
issues and explaining the rationale for the tentative U.S. position on each issue. Copies of the extended version of the notice are also available from the Division of Management Authority at the above address.
We welcome your comments and information regarding the resolutions, decisions, and agenda items that the United States is likely to submit, currently undecided about submitting, or currently planning not to submit.

A. What resolutions, decisions, and agenda items is the United States likely to submit for consideration at CoP15?

1. A document that continues to support a strong stance on tiger conservation and efforts to address illegal trade in tiger and other Asian big cat parts and derivatives in both range and consumer countries.

B. On what resolutions, decisions, and agenda items is the United States still undecided, pending additional information and consultations?

1. A discussion document on how CITES might incorporate impacts of climate change in future deliberations, or how Parties could incorporate climate change resilience into their non-detriment findings.
2. A discussion document on the conservation issues associated with and management of the snake trade in Asia.
3. A discussion document raising possible problems with the current guidelines to register and monitor operations that breed Appendix-I animal species for commercial purposes provided in Resolution Conf. 12.10 (Rev. CoP14), and possibly including a proposal to amend this resolution.

C. What resolutions, decisions, and agenda items is the United States not likely to submit for consideration at CoP15, unless we receive significant additional information?

1. A resolution that details the need to accurately and adequately describe on CITES permits and in CITES annual reports both the types of specimens in trade and the quantities of specimens in trade.
2. A document expressing disappointment in the lack of progress that has been made to date in the development and implementation of regional management plans for the African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus).
3. A document related to the establishment of “zero export quotas” for those species subject to a Standing Committee recommendation to suspend trade.
4. A document emphasizing the importance of sound science in the making of CITES non-detriment findings for the import of specimens included in Appendix I, and export of specimens of species included in
Appendices I and II.

II. Recommendations for Species Proposals for the United States To Consider Submitting for CoP15

In our Federal Register notice of September 29, 2008 (73 FR 56605), we requested information and recommendations on potential species proposals for the United States to consider submitting for
consideration at CoP15. We received recommendations from the following organizations for possible proposals involving 46 taxa (5 families, 7 genera, and 34 individual species) and 5 general animal groups
(furbearers, ungulates, freshwater turtles, sharks, and other fish): the Animal Welfare Institute; Defenders of Wildlife; the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS); Humane Society International (HSI); the
International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission (IUCN/SSC) Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group; the Mid-Atlantic Turtle and Tortoise Society; the Ocean Conservancy;
the Pew Institute for Ocean Conservation Science; Sea Web; SSN; TRAFFIC; WDCS; and WWF. We have undertaken initial assessments of the available trade and biological information on all of these taxa. Based
on these assessments, we made provisional determinations of whether to proceed with the development of proposals to list or delist species, or transfer them from one Appendix to another. We made these
determinations by considering the quality of biological and trade information available on the

[[Page 33462]]

species; the presence, absence, and effectiveness of other mechanisms that may preclude the need for a CITES listing (e.g., range country actions or other international agreements); and availability of resources. Furthermore, our assignment of a taxon to one of these categories, which reflects the likelihood of our submitting a proposal, included consideration of the following factors, which reflect the U.S. approach for CoP15 discussed in our September 29, 2008, Federal Register notice:
(1) Is it a native U.S. species that is or may be significantly affected by trade, or if it is a currently listed U.S. species, does the listing accurately reflect the biological and trade status of the species?
(2) Is it a native U.S. species that is not at this time significantly impacted by trade within the United States, but is being significantly impacted elsewhere in its range?
(3) Is it a foreign species, not native to the United States, but which is or may be significantly affected by trade, and the United States is a significant component of the trade (i.e., as an importing country)?
(4) Is it a species for which the United States is neither a range country nor a country significantly involved in trade, but for which trade is a serious threat to the continued existence of the species, other mechanisms are lacking or ineffective for bringing trade under control, and action is urgently needed?

In sections A, B, and C below, we have listed the current status of each species proposal recommended by the public, as well as species proposals we have been developing on our own. Please note that we have only provided here a list of taxa and the proposed action. We have posted an extended version of this notice on our website at https:// www.fws.gov/international/newspubs/fedregnot.html with text describing in more detail each proposed action and explaining the rationale for the tentative U.S. position on each possible proposal. Copies of the extended version of the notice are also available from the Division of Management Authority at the above address.

We welcome your comments, especially if you are able to provide any additional biological or trade information on these species. For each species, more detailed information is on file in the Division of
Scientific Authority.

A. What species proposals is the United States likely to submit for consideration at CoP15?

The United States is likely to develop and submit proposals for the following taxa. For some of the species below, particularly those not native to the United States, additional consultations with range countries and subject matter experts are proceeding, and final decisions are pending, based on the outcomes of those consultations and any additional information received.

Mammals
3. Bobcat (Lynx rufus) – Removal from Appendix II

[[Page 33463]]

Observers (at the CITES meeting next March)

Article XI, paragraph 7 of CITES states the following:
“Any body or agency technically qualified in protection, conservation or management of wild fauna and flora, in the following categories, which has informed the Secretariat of its desire to be represented at meetings of the Conference by observers, shall be admitted unless at least one-third of the Parties present object:
(a) international agencies or bodies, either governmental or non- governmental, and national governmental agencies and bodies; and (b) national non-governmental agencies or bodies which have been approved for this purpose by the State in which they are located.

Once admitted, these observers shall have the right to participate but not to vote.  Persons wishing to be observers representing international nongovernmental organizations (which must have offices in more than one country) at CoP15 may request approval directly from the CITES Secretariat. Persons wishing to be observers representing U.S. national nongovernmental organizations at CoP15 must receive prior approval from our Division of Management Authority. Once we grant our approval, a U.S. national nongovernmental organization is eligible to register with the Secretariat and must do so at least 6 weeks prior to the opening of CoP15 to participate in CoP15 as an observer. Individuals who are not affiliated with an organization may not register as observers. An international nongovernmental organization with at least one office in the United States may register as a U.S. nongovernmental organization if it prefers.

A request submitted to us for approval as an observer should include evidence of technical qualifications in protection, conservation, or management of wild fauna and/or flora, on the part of both the organization and the individual representative(s). The request should also include copies of the organization’s charter and/or bylaws, and a list of representatives it intends to send to CoP15.

Organizations seeking approval for the first time should detail their experience in the protection, conservation, or management of wild fauna and/or flora, as well as their purposes for wishing to participate in CoP15 as an observer. An organization that we have previously approved as an observer at a meeting of the Conference of the Parties within the past 5 years must submit a request, but does not need to provide as much detailed information concerning its qualifications as an organization seeking approval for the first time. These requests should be sent to the Division of Management Authority (see “ADDRESSES,” above).

Once we approve an organization as an observer, we will send the organization instructions for registration with the CITES Secretariat in Switzerland, including a meeting registration form and travel and hotel information. A list of organizations approved for observer status at CoP15 will be available upon request from the Division of Management Authority just prior to the start of CoP15.

Future Actions

We expect the CITES Secretariat to provide us with a provisional agenda for CoP15 within the next several months. Once we receive the provisional agenda,

[[Page 33464]]

we will publish it in a Federal Register notice and provide the Secretariat’s website URL. We will also provide the provisional agenda on our website at https://www.fws.gov/international

The United States will submit any species proposals, and proposed resolutions, decisions, and agenda items for consideration at CoP15 to the CITES Secretariat 150 days prior to the start of the meeting (i.e.,
tentatively by mid-October , 2009). We will consider all available information and comments, including those received in writing during the comment period, as we decide which species proposals, and proposed
resolutions, decisions, and agenda items warrant submission by the United States for consideration by the Parties. Approximately 4 months prior to CoP15, we will post on our website an announcement of the
species proposals, and proposed resolutions, decisions, and agenda items submitted by the United States to the CITES Secretariat for consideration at CoP15.

Through an additional notice and website posting in advance of CoP15, we will inform you about preliminary negotiating positions on resolutions, decisions, and amendments to the Appendices proposed by
other Parties for consideration at CoP15. We will also publish an announcement of a public meeting tentatively to be held approximately 2 months prior to CoP15, to receive public input on our positions regarding items submitted by other Parties.

Author

The primary authors of this notice are Mark Albert, Division of Management Authority; and Pamela Hall, Division of Scientific Authority; under the authority of the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). This has been edited to only deal with items of interest to Big Cat Rescue.

Dated: June 29, 2009
Marvin Moriarty
Acting Deputy Director
[FR Doc. E9-16410 Filed 7-10- 09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-S

——————————————

https://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-SPECIES/index.html
Comments: https://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/comments.htm
Search: https://epa.gov/fedreg/search.htm
EPA’s Federal Register: https://epa.gov/fedreg/

Conf. 12.10 (Rev. CoP14)*

Guidelines for a procedure to register and monitor operations that breed
Appendix-I animal species for commercial purposes

RECALLING Resolution Conf. 8.15, adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its eighth meeting (Kyoto, 1992) and Resolution Conf. 11.14, adopted at its 11th meeting (Gigiri, 2000);

RECOGNIZING that Article VII, paragraph 4, of the Convention provides that specimens of Appendix-I animal species bred in captivity for commercial purposes shall be deemed to be specimens of species included in Appendix II;

RECOGNIZING also that the provisions of Article III of the Convention remain the basis for permitting trade in specimens of Appendix-I species of animals that do not qualify for the exemptions of paragraphs 4 and 5 of Article VII;

NOTING that import of wild-caught specimens of Appendix-I species for purposes of establishing a commercial captive-breeding operation is precluded by Article III, paragraph 3 (c), as explained further in Resolution Conf. 5.10, adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its fifth meeting (Buenos Aires, 1985);

RECALLING that Resolution Conf. 10.16 (Rev.), adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its 10th meeting (Harare, 1997) and amended at its 11th meeting, establishes the definition of ‘bred in captivity’ and provides the basis for determining whether or not an operation is eligible to be considered for registration;

NOTING that, in accordance with Article VII, paragraph 5, the import of specimens of Appendix-I species bred in captivity not for commercial purposes that are covered by a certificate of captive breeding does not require the issuance of an import permit and may therefore be authorized whether or not the purpose is commercial;

THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION

DETERMINES that the term ‘bred in captivity for commercial purposes’, as used in Article VII, paragraph 4, shall be interpreted as referring to any specimen of an animal bred to obtain economic benefit, including profit, whether in cash or kind, where the purpose is directed toward sale, exchange or provision of a service or any other form of economic use or benefit;

AGREES that the exemption of Article VII, paragraph 4, should be implemented through the registration by the Secretariat of operations that breed specimens of Appendix-I species for commercial purposes;

AGREES to the following procedure to register a captive-breeding operation for each Appendix-I listed animal species bred for commercial purposes;

AGREES also that determination of whether or not to apply the exemptions in Article VII, paragraph 4, for the export of specimens of Appendix-I animals bred in captivity for commercial purposes remains the responsibility of the Management Authority of the exporting Party on the advice of the Scientific Authority that each operation complies with the provisions of Resolution Conf. 10.16 (Rev.);

RESOLVES that:

a) an operation may only be registered according to the procedure in this Resolution if specimens produced by that operation qualify as ‘bred in captivity’ according to the provisions of Resolution Conf. 10.16 (Rev.);

b) the first and major responsibility for approving captive-breeding operations under Article VII, paragraph 4, shall rest with the Management Authority of each Party, in consultation with the Scientific Authority of that Party;

c) the Management Authority shall provide the Secretariat with appropriate information to obtain, and to maintain, the registration of each captive-breeding operation as set out in Annex 1;

d) the Secretariat shall notify all Parties of each application for registration following the procedure set out in Annex 2;

e) Parties shall strictly implement the provisions of Article IV of the Convention with respect to specimens of species included in Appendix I originating from operations that breed such specimens in captivity for commercial purposes;

f) registered captive-breeding operations shall ensure that an appropriate and secure marking system is used to clearly identify all breeding stock and specimens in trade, and shall undertake to adopt superior marking and identification methods as these become available;

g) the Management Authority, in collaboration with the Scientific Authority, shall monitor the management of each registered captive-breeding operation under its jurisdiction and advise the Secretariat in the event of any major change in the nature of an operation or in the type(s) of products being produced for export, in which case the Animals Committee shall review the operation to determine whether it should remain registered;

h) any Party within whose jurisdiction an operation is registered may unilaterally request the removal of that operation from the Register without reference to other Parties by so notifying the Secretariat, and, in this case, the operation shall be removed immediately;

i) any Party believing that a registered operation does not comply with the provisions of Resolution Conf. 10.16 (Rev.) may, after consultation with the Secretariat and the Party concerned, propose that the Conference of the Parties delete the operation from the Register by a two-thirds vote of the Parties as described in Article XV of the Convention; and, once deleted, such an operation may only be reinstated in the Register by satisfying the procedure outlined in Annex 2; and

j) the Management Authority shall satisfy itself that the captive-breeding operation will make a continuing meaningful contribution according to the conservation needs of the species concerned;

URGES that:

a) Parties, prior to the establishment of captive-breeding operations for exotic species, undertake an assessment of the ecological risks, in order to safeguard against any negative effects on local ecosystems and native species;

b) Management Authorities work closely with captive-breeding operations to prepare the information required in Annex 1 of this Resolution, or establish a support group with members representing breeders and Government in order to facilitate the procedure; and

c) Parties provide incentives to their captive-breeding operations to register, such as faster processing of permit applications, issuance of a formal certificate of approval as an internationally registered breeding operation, or possibly reduced export permit fees;

ENCOURAGES:

a) Parties to provide simple application forms (such as the one used by the Management Authority of Canada) and clear instructions to operations that wish to be registered; and

b) importing countries to facilitate import of Appendix-I species from registered captive-breeding operations;

AGREES further that:

a) Parties shall restrict imports for primarily commercial purposes, as defined in Resolution Conf. 5.10, of captive-bred specimens of Appendix-I species to those produced by operations included in the Secretariat’s Register and shall reject any document granted under Article VII, paragraph 4, if the specimens concerned do not originate from such an operation and if the document does not describe the specific identifying mark applied to each specimen; and

b) comparable documentation granted in accordance with the Convention by States that are not Parties to the Convention shall not be accepted by Parties without prior consultation with the Secretariat; and

REPEALS the Resolutions listed hereunder:

a) Resolution Conf. 8.15 (Kyoto, 1992) – Guidelines for a procedure to register and monitor operations breeding Appendix-I animal species for commercial purposes; and

b) Resolution Conf. 11.14 (Gigiri, 2000) – Guidelines for a procedure to register and monitor operations that breed Appendix-I animal species for commercial purposes.

Annex 1

Information to be provided to the Secretariat by the Management Authority
on operations to be registered

1. Name and address of the owner and manager of the captive-breeding operation.

2. Date of establishment.

3. Species bred (Appendix I only).

4. Details of the number and age (if known or appropriate) of males and females that comprise the parental breeding stock.

– Evidence of legal acquisition of each male and female, including receipts, CITES documents, capture permits, etc.

5. Operations located within range States must produce evidence that the parental stock was obtained in accordance with the relevant national laws (e.g. capture permits, receipts, etc.), or, if imported, in accordance with the provisions of the Convention (e.g. receipts, CITES documents, etc.).
6. Operations located in non-range States must produce evidence that the animals comprising the parental stock:

a) are pre-Convention specimens (e.g. relevant dated receipts or other acceptable proof of lawful acquisition);

b) have been derived from pre-Convention specimens (e.g. relevant dated receipts or other acceptable proof of lawful acquisition); or

c) were acquired from the range State(s) in accordance with the provisions of the Convention (e.g. receipts, CITES documents, etc.).

7. Current stock (numbers, by sex and age, of progeny held in addition to parental breeding stock above).
8. Information on the percentage mortalities and, where possible, on the percentage mortalities in the different age groups and between males and females.

9. Documentation showing that the species has been bred to second-generation offspring (F2) at the facility and a description of the method used.

10. If the operation has only bred the species to the first generation, documentation showing that the husbandry methods used are the same as, or similar to, those that have resulted in second-generation offspring elsewhere.

11. Past, current and expected annual production of offspring and, where possible, information on:

a) the number of females producing offspring each year; and

b) unusual fluctuations in the annual production of offspring (including an explanation of the probable cause).

12. An assessment of the anticipated need for, and source of, additional specimens to augment the breeding stock to increase the genetic pool of the captive population in order to avoid any deleterious inbreeding.
13. Type of product exported (e.g. live specimens, skins, hides, and/or other body parts).

14. Detailed description of the marking methods (e.g. bands, tags, transponders, branding, etc.) used for the breeding stock and offspring and for the types of specimens (e.g. skins, meat, live animals, etc.) that will be exported.

15. Description of the inspection and monitoring procedures to be used by the CITES Management Authority to confirm the identity of the breeding stock and offspring and to detect the presence of unauthorized specimens held at or incorporated within the operation or provided for export.

16. Description of the facilities to house the current and expected captive stock, including security measures to prevent escapes and/or thefts. Detailed information should be provided on the number and size of breeding and rearing enclosures, egg incubation capacity, food production or supply, availability of veterinary services and record-keeping.
17. Description of the strategies used by the breeding operation, or other activities, that contribute to improving the conservation status of wild population(s) of the species.

18. Assurance that the operation shall be carried out at all stages in a humane (non-cruel) manner.

Annex 2

Procedure to be followed by the Secretariat before registering new operations

1. For all applications:

a) review each application for registration to verify that it meets the requirements of Annex 1;

b) notify all Parties of each application for registration and provide full information (specified in Annex 1) on the operation to any Party that requests it; and

c) disseminate, with the Notifications to the Parties proposing new captive-breeding operations to be added to the Register, details of the specific marking method (and the identifying codes or prefixes, where possible) used by the captive-breeding operation.

2. Any Party wishing to do so must comment on the registration of an operation within a period of 90 days from the date of notification by the Secretariat.

3. If any Party objects to the registration, or expresses concern about the application, the Secretariat shall refer the documentation to the Animals Committee, which shall respond to these objections within 60 days. Then, the Secretariat shall facilitate a dialogue between the Management Authority of the Party submitting the application and the Party or Parties objecting to the registration, and shall provide the recommendations of the Animals Committee, and allow a further 60 days for resolution of the identified problem(s).

4. If the objection is not withdrawn or the identified problem(s) not resolved, the application shall be postponed until it is decided by a two-thirds majority vote at the following meeting of the Conference of the Parties, or by postal procedures equivalent to those set forth in Article XV.

5. For applications involving species already on the Secretariat’s Register, refer such applications to experts for advice on their suitability only in cases where there are significant new aspects or other reasons for concern.

6. When satisfied that an application meets all requirements in Annex 1, publish the name and other particulars of the operation in its Register.

7. When an operation is not accepted for registration, provide the relevant Management Authority with a full explanation of the reasons for rejection and indicate the specific conditions that must be met before it can be resubmitted for further consideration.

 

 

* Amended at the 13th and 14th meetings of the Conference of the Parties.