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International species conservation policy

WWF not only works for a legal and sustainable wildlife trade by funding and supporting a variety of initiatives in countries that produce or consume wildlife products. We also work with the UK government – and through the global WWF Network – to influence international policy on conservation issues affecting some of the world’s most important species.

We make sure our voice is heard at two important policy bodies: the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

CITES

CITES is an international agreement, which regulates the trade in endangered wild animals and plants to help ensure the survival of wild species.

WWF has been a positive force in CITES since the treaty came into force in 1975. We actively promote stronger enforcement of the treaty for the benefit of wildlife conservation.

The last meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP 15) took place in Doha, Qatar, 13-25 March 2010. It was overall fairly disappointing, even though there were some good outcomes.

Some conservation successes include:

• Listing of a number of threatened reptiles, amphibians and aromatic timbers in the CITES Appendices (Appendix I in the case of the Kaiser spotted newt).
• Maintaining the position that raising tigers in captivity for trade in their parts is unacceptable.
• Recognition of the rhino poaching crisis in South Africa and Zimbabwe, and its link to the emergence of a new market for rhino horn in Viet Nam – all three countries will be required to show progress in tackling the crisis over the coming three years.

However, the meeting will be remembered primarily for the failure to adopt any of the six well-merited proposals to list marine species in the Appendices.

• A proposal to list Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, the prized fish for sashimi, in Appendix I was defeated, due to concerted opposition led by Japan, with the EU (the main driver of overfishing) equivocating. However, Atlantic Bluefin Tuna fishing nations did make strong commitments to agree conservation measures for this species in other fora.
• Four proposals to list sharks in Appendix II that are valued for their fins and meat (hammerhead shark, oceanic whitetip shark, spiny dogfish and porbeagle) were narrowly defeated.
• A proposal to list red and pink coral, used in the jewellery industry, was also defeated.

The outcomes regarding African elephants can best be described as mixed. While the decision not to sanction further ivory trade at this juncture was the correct one, the divisive tone of the debate on the issue – and the failure to highlight the ongoing threat from domestic ivory markets – were disappointing.

IWC

The IWC (International Whaling Commission) was set up in 1946 under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling to address the overexploitation of whale species.

Over recent decades, WWF believes the IWC has taken some encouraging steps in changing its emphasis from governing the whaling industry towards conserving and studying whales.

However, Japan, Norway and Iceland are still whaling even though an international moratorium on commercial whaling has been in place since 1986. All three countries are exploiting loopholes in the convention to kill nearly 2,000 whales each year.

WWF is working with governments to promote the conservation of all cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), and to ensure that commercial exploitation never again threatens any species of whale.

The 63rd annual IWC meeting took place in St Helier, Jersey from 11th to 15th July 2011. The meeting ended somewhat acrimoniously after member governments hit an impasse over the proposal of a whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic. The sanctuary, put forward by South American member countries, was vehemently opposed by pro-whaling governments, who walked out of the meeting when a vote was called. Opposition to the sanctuary proposal dominated the bulk of the meeting’s final day causing important whale conservation issues to be dropped from the agenda.

Whales and other cetaceans are at risk from numerous human-induced threats such as climate change, fisheries bycatch, oil and gas exploration and ship strikes. The Commission agreed to allocate sufficient time at next year’s meeting in Panama to address the many environmental threats affecting whales. Members also decided to postpone discussions over the South Atlantic sanctuary until the 2012 meeting.

Among the successes, IWC 63 adopted key reforms aimed at improving the body’s operations and creating greater transparency. Additionally, a workshop is being planned to explore ways the Commission can minimise threats to Arctic cetaceans coming from human activities such as oil extraction, shipping and undersea noise.

Further information on the IWC

Useful links

• Visit the CITES website
• Visit the IWC website

Reports