Organizations

C.I.T.E.S.- Appendices

I.O.S.

I.S.I

Code of behaviour

What is CITES?

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

Widespread information nowadays about the endangered status of many prominent species, such as the tiger and elephants, might make the need for such a convention seem obvious. But at the time when the ideas for CITES were first formed, in the 1960s, international discussion of the regulation of wildlife trade for conservation purposes was something relatively new. With hindsight, the need for CITES is clear. Annually, international wildlife trade is estimated to be worth billions of dollars and to include hundreds of millions of plant and animal specimens. The trade is diverse, ranging from live animals and plants to a vast array of wildlife products derived from them, including food products, exotic leather goods, wooden musical instruments, timber, tourist curios and medicines. Levels of exploitation of some animal and plant species are high and the trade in them, together with other factors, such as habitat loss, is capable of heavily depleting their populations and even bringing some species close to extinction. Many wildlife species in trade are not endangered, but the existence of an agreement to ensure the sustainability of the trade is important in order to safeguard these resources for the future.

Because the trade in wild animals and plants crosses borders between countries, the effort to regulate it requires international cooperation to safeguard certain species from over-exploitation. CITES was conceived in the spirit of such cooperation. Today, it accords varying degrees of protection to more than 30,000 species of animals and plants, whether they are traded as live specimens, fur coats or dried herbs.

CITES was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of IUCN (The World Conservation Union). The text of the Convention was finally agreed at a meeting of representatives of 80 countries in Washington DC., United States of America, on 3 March 1973, , and on 1 July 1975 CITES entered in force. The original of the Convention was deposited with the Depositary Government in the Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish languages, each version being equally authentic.

CITES is an international agreement to which States (countries) adhere voluntarily. States that have agreed to be bound by the Convention ('joined' CITES) are known as Parties. Although CITES is legally binding on the Parties – in other words they have to implement the Convention – it does not take the place of national laws. Rather it provides a framework to be respected by each Party, which has to adopt its own domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is implemented at the national level.

For many years CITES has been among the conservation agreements with the largest membership, with now 172 Parties.

The CITES Appendices

Appendices I, II and III to the Convention are lists of species afforded different levels or types of protection from over-exploitation (see How CITES works). The Appendices are also available here in PDF format for downloading.

Appendix I lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants (see Article II, paragraph 1 of the Convention). They are threatened with extinction and CITES prohibits international trade in specimens of these species except when the purpose of the import is not commercial (see Article III), for instance for scientific research. In these exceptional cases, trade may take place provided it is authorized by the granting of both an import permit and an export permit (or re-export certificate). Additionally Article VII of the Convention provides for exemptions to this prohibition and these requirements.

Appendix II lists species that are not necessarily now threatened with extinction but that may become so unless trade is closely controlled. It also includes so-called "look-alike species", i.e. species of which the specimens in trade look like those of species listed for conservation reasons (see Article II, paragraph 2 of the Convention). International trade in specimens of Appendix-II species may be authorized by the granting of an export permit or re-export certificate. No import permit is necessary for these species under CITES (although a permit is needed in some countries that have taken stricter measures than CITES requires). Permits or certificates should only be granted if the relevant authorities are satisfied that certain conditions are met, above all that trade will not be detrimental to the survival of the species in the wild. (See Article IV of the Convention)

Appendix III is a list of species included at the request of a Party that already regulates trade in the species and that needs the cooperation of other countries to prevent unsustainable or illegal exploitation (see Article II, paragraph 3, of the Convention). International trade in specimens of species listed in this Appendix is allowed only on presentation of the appropriate permits or certificates. (See Article V of the Convention)

Species may be added to or removed from Appendix I and II, or moved between them, only by the Conference of the Parties, either at its regular meetings or by postal procedures (see Article XV of the Convention). But species may be added to or removed from Appendix III at any time and by any Party unilaterally (although the Conference of the Parties has recommended that changes be timed to coincide with amendments to Appendices I and II).

The names of species in the Appendices may be annotated to qualify the listing. For example, separate populations of a species may have different conservation needs and be included in different Appendices (e.g. the wolf populations included in Appendix I are only those of Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan, whereas all others are included in Appendix II). Such specifications can appear next to the species name or in the Interpretation section through a cross-reference (e.g. '#1'). For this reason, the Appendices should always be consulted alongside the interpretation with which they are presented.

Parties may enter reservations with respect to any species listed in the Appendices in accordance with the provisions of Articles XV, XVI or XXIII of the Convention.

Valid from the 3 May 2007

Appendix I	Appendix II	Appendix III
AGAVACEAE
*Agave arizonica*
*Agave parviflora*
	*Agave victoriae-reginae* #1
*Nolina interrata*
APOCYNACEAE
	Hoodia spp. #9
	Pachypodium spp. #1 (Except the species included in Appendix I)
*Pachypodium ambongense*
*Pachypodium baronii*
*Pachypodium decaryi*
BROMELIACEAE Air plants, bromelias
	*Tillandsia harrisii* #1
	*Tillandsia kammii* #1
	*Tillandsia kautskyi* #1
	*Tillandsia mauryana* #1
	*Tillandsia sprengeliana* #1
	*Tillandsia sucrei* #1
	*Tillandsia xerographica* #1
CACTACEAE Cacti
	CACTACEAE spp.⁷ #4 (Except the species included in Appendix I)
Ariocarpus spp.
*Astrophytum asterias*
*Aztekium ritteri*
*Coryphantha werdermannii*
Discocactus spp.
Echinocereus ferreirianus ssp. lindsayi
*Echinocereus schmollii*
*Escobaria minima*
*Escobaria sneedii*
*Mammillaria pectinifera*
*Mammillaria solisioides*
*Melocactus conoideus*
*Melocactus deinacanthus*
*Melocactus glaucescens*
*Melocactus paucispinus*
*Obregonia denegrii*
*Pachycereus militaris*
*Pediocactus bradyi*
*Pediocactus knowltonii*
*Pediocactus paradinei*
*Pediocactus peeblesianus*
*Pediocactus sileri*
Pelecyphora spp.
Sclerocactus brevihamatus ssp. tobuschii
*Sclerocactus erectocentrus*
*Sclerocactus glaucus*
*Sclerocactus mariposensis*
*Sclerocactus mesae-verdae*
*Sclerocactus nyensis*
*Sclerocactus papyracanthus*
*Sclerocactus pubispinus*
*Sclerocactus wrightiae*
Strombocactus spp.
Turbinicarpus spp.
Uebelmannia spp.
CRASSULACEAE Dudleyas
	*Dudleya stolonifera*
	*Dudleya traskiae*
DIDIEREACEAE Alluaudias, didiereas
	DIDIEREACEAE spp. #1
DIOSCOREACEAE
	*Dioscorea deltoidea* #1
DROSERACEAE
	*Dionaea muscipula* #1
EUPHORBIACEAE
	Euphorbia spp. #1 (Succulent species only except the species included in Appendix I. Artificially propagated specimens of cultivars of Euphorbia trigona, artificially propagated specimens of crested, fan-shaped or colour mutants of Euphorbia lactea, when grafted on artificially propagated root stock of Euphorbia neriifolia, and artificially propagated specimens of cultivars of Euphorbia ‘Milii’ when they are traded in shipments of 100 or more plants and readily recognizable as artificially propagated specimens, are not subject to the provisions of the Convention)
*Euphorbia ambovombensis*
*Euphorbia capsaintemariensis*
*Euphorbia cremersii* (Includes the forma viridifolia and the var. rakotozafyi)
*Euphorbia cylindrifolia* (Includes the spp. tuberifera)
*Euphorbia decaryiIncludes the vars. ampanihyenis, robinsonii* and spirosticha)
*Euphorbia francoisii*
*Euphorbia moratii* (Includes the vars. antsingiensis, bemarahensis and multiflora)
*Euphorbia parvicyathophora*
*Euphorbia quartziticola*
*Euphorbia tulearensis*
FOUQUIERIACEAE
	*Fouquieria columnaris* #1
*Fouquieria fasciculata*
*Fouquieria purpusii*
LILIACEAE Aloes
	Aloe spp. #1 (Except the species included in Appendix I. Also excludes Aloe vera, also referenced as Aloe barbadensis which is not included in the Appendices)
*Aloe albida*
*Aloe albiflora*
*Aloe alfredii*
*Aloe bakeri*
*Aloe bellatula*
*Aloe calcairophila*
*Aloe compressa* (Includes the vars. paucituberculata, rugosquamosa and schistophila)
*Aloe delphinensis*
*Aloe descoingsii*
*Aloe fragilis*
*Aloe haworthioides* (Includes the var. aurantiaca)
*Aloe helenae*
*Aloe laeta* (Includes the var. maniaensis)
*Aloe parallelifolia*
*Aloe parvula*
*Aloe pillansii*
*Aloe polyphylla*
*Aloe rauhii*
*Aloe suzannae*
*Aloe versicolor*
*Aloe vossii*
PORTULACACEAE Lewisias, portulacas
	Anacampseros spp. #1
	Avonia spp. #1
	*Lewisia serrata* #1
WELWITSCHIACEAE Welwitschia
	*Welwitschia mirabilis* #1

7 Artificially propagated specimens of the following hybrids and/or cultivars are not subject to the provisions of the Convention:
– Hatiora x graeseri
– Schlumbergera x buckleyi
– Schlumbergera russelliana x Schlumbergera truncata
– Schlumbergera orssichiana x Schlumbergera truncata
– Schlumbergera opuntioides x Schlumbergera truncata
– Schlumbergera truncata (cultivars)
– Cactaceae spp. colour mutants lacking chlorophyll, grafted on the following grafting stocks: Harrisia 'Jusbertii', Hylocereus trigonus or Hylocereus undatus
– Opuntia microdasys (cultivars).