Sixth FAO Expert Advisory Panel for the Assessment of Proposals to Amend Appendices I and II of CITES Concerning Commercially Exploited Aquatic Species, Rome, Italy, 21-25 January 2019.
Abstract
The Sixth FAO Expert Advisory Panel for the Assessment of Proposals to Amend Appendices I and II of CITES Concerning Commercially Exploited Aquatic Species was held at FAO headquarters from 21 to 25 January 2019. The Expert Panel was convened in response to the agreement by the Twenty-Fifth session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) on the terms of reference for an expert advisory panel for assessment of proposals to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and following endorsement from the Twenty-Sixth session of COFI to convene the Expert Panel for relevant proposals to future CITES Conference of the Parties. The objectives of the Expert Panel were to: i. assess each proposal from a scientific perspective in accordance with the CITES biological listing criteria (Resolution Conf. 9.24 [Rev. CoP17]); ii. comment, as appropriate, on technical aspects of the proposal in relation to biology, ecology, trade and management issues, as well as, to the extent possible, the likely effectiveness for conservation. The Expert Panel considered the following four proposals submitted to the eighteenth Conference of the Parties to CITES: * CoP18 Prop. 42. Proposal to include the mako shark, Isurus oxyrinchus in Appendix II in accordance with Article II paragraph 2(a) and Isurus paucus in Appendix II in accordance with Article II paragraph 2(b). The Expert Panel assessment of Proposal 42 concluded that the available data do not provide evidence that the species meets the CITES Appendix II listing criteria. * CoP18 Prop. 43. Proposal to include blackchin guitarfish Glaucostegus cemiculus and the sharpnose guitarfish, Glaucostegus granulatus in Appendix II in accordance with Article II paragraph 2(a) and inclusion of all other giant guitarfish, Glaugostegus spp. in accordance with Article II paragraph 2(b). The Expert Panel assessment of Proposal 43 concluded that there was insufficient evidence to make a decision in relation to CITES criteria, recommending that CITES Parties take note of the one example of extirpation, the widespread lack of management and the very high value of guitarfish fins in international trade. * CoP18 Prop. 44. Proposal to include white-spotted wedgefish, Rhynchobatus australiae and Rhynchobatus djiddensis in Appendix II in accordance with Article II paragraph 2(a). If listed, this would include Rhynchobatus cooki, Rhynchobatus immaculatus, Rhynchobatus laevis, Rhynchobatus luebberti, Rhynchobatus palpebratus, Rhynchobatus springeri, Rhynchorhina mauritaniensis, Rhina ancylostoma, and all other putative species of the Rhinidae (wedgefish) family in Appendix II in accordance with Article II paragraph 2(b). The Expert Panel assessment of Proposal 44 concluded that there was insufficient evidence to make a decision in relation to CITES criteria, recommending that CITES Parties take note of the widespread lack of management and the very high value of wedgefish fins in international trade. * CoP18 Prop. 45. Proposal to include the subgenus Holothuria (Microthele): Holothuria fuscogilva, Holothuria nobilis and Holothuria whitmaei in Appendix II in accordance with Article II paragraph 2(a). The Expert Panel assessment of Proposal 45 concluded that the available data for Holothuria fuscogilva does not meet the CITES Appendix II listing criteria, that there was insufficient evidence to make a determination for Holothuria nobilis, but that Holothuria whitmaei does meet the CITES Appendix II listing criteria. The report includes an assessment of each of the four proposals in-line with the objectives outlined above, highlighting the Expert Panel's determination of whether information on the species in question meet the CITES Appendix criteria, and noting biology, ecology, trade and management issues, as well as, to the extent possible, the likely effectiveness of a listing for conservation.