USFWS Issues Early Call for Public Input on CITES Species listings (fwd)

[Doug Yanega]

Figured this would be of great interest here:

>February 5, 1998                    Patricia Fisher  202-208-5634
>
>AGENCY ISSUES EARLY CALL FOR PUBLIC INPUT ON SPECIES TO BE
>CONSIDERED AS U.S. PROPOSALS TO THE 1999 MEETING OF THE
>CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES
>
>The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking public information
>and comment on animal and plant species that might be considered
>as candidates for United States proposals to be presented at the
>1999 Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International
>Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).  The agency's earlier-than-
>usual request was made to ensure greater involvement of the
>states, conservation organizations, other Federal agencies, and
>various interested parties in the review process.
>
>"The Service wants to maximize its ability to present the most
>comprehensive proposals to the next CITES meeting," said Marshall
>Jones, the Service's Assistant Director for International
>Affairs.  "By starting the process early, we have ample time to
>work with our cooperators to develop successful negotiating
>positions."
>
>Currently, 143 nations including the U.S. belong to CITES, an
>international treaty designed to control and regulate
>international trade in certain animal and plant species that are
>now or may become threatened with extinction.
>
>Each species for which trade is controlled is included in one of
>three appendices.  Appendix I includes species threatened with
>extinction that are or may be affected by trade.  No commercial
>trade is allowed in Appendix I species.  Appendix II includes
>species which, although not necessarily now threatened with
>extinction, may become so unless their trade is strictly
>controlled.  Any member nation may place a native species on
>Appendix III in order to monitor its trade and prevent
>exploitation.
>
>This request for public input concerns only the identification of
>those animal or plant species as possible candidates for
>addition, removal, or reclassification in Appendices I and II.
>Information may be submitted on the status of domestic and
>foreign species if these species are subject to international
>trade that may be detrimental to wild populations.
>
>One of the species under consideration for reclassification is
>the North American population of the gyrfalcon, a raptor found in
>the arctic and subarctic regions of Alaska, Canada, Greenland,
>and Iceland.  Because the Service has no evidence that this
>particular population has ever been threatened due to habitat
>loss, nest robbing, or trade, the agency is considering a
>proposal to transfer the species from Appendix I to Appendix II.
>In the past, European range states have been concerned about
>enforcement problems for their own populations if the North
>American birds were downlisted.  However, trade in North American
>gyrfalcons does not appear to pose a significant threat to the
>survival of the species.
>
>Another proposal under consideration is to include the timber
>rattlesnake, a U.S. native species, in Appendix II.  Although
>found in 27 states from New Hampshire and Minnesota south to
>Texas and Florida, populations have declined greatly over much of
>their range.  In fact, timber rattlesnakes have completely
>disappeared from Maine and Rhode Island and they are listed as
>endangered in many northern states.  However, these snakes are
>still being collected for the pet trade, for meat, and for
>leather goods.
>
>The CITES parties also periodically review species currently
>listed on the appendices to ensure they are listed appropriately.
>Because there is no evidence that the Sonoran green toad and the
>orange-throated whiptail lizard are in international trade, the
>United States and Mexico have been asked to consider proposing to
>remove them from the Appendices.  Therefore, the Service is
>asking for biological and trade information on these two species.
>
>In addition, the CITES nations will be reviewing most of the
>plant species included in the Appendices prior to 1985 to assess
>whether they are appropriately listed.
>
>The Service is not asking for complete proposals at this time but
>rather is seeking information describing the status of the
>species, conservation and management programs, including the
>effectiveness of enforcement efforts, and both domestic and
>international trade data.  Comments must be submitted by
>March 31, 1998, which is 60 days from publication in the
>January 30, 1998, Federal Register.
>
>The next Conference of the Parties is expected to be held in
>November 1999 in Indonesia.
>
>Comments should be sent to Chief, Office of Scientific Authority,
>U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room
>750, Arlington, VA 22203.  Comments and materials received will
>be available for public inspection by appointment from 8 a.m. to
>4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Office of Scientific
>Authority.  For further information, please contact Dr. Susan
>Lieberman, Acting Chief, Office of Scientific Authority.
>Telephone:  703-358-1708, fax:  703-358-2276, or e-mail:
>susan_lieberman at fws.gov.
>
>-FWS-
>
>
>
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Doug Yanega    Depto. de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas,
Univ. Fed. de Minas Gerais, Cx.P. 486, 30.161-970 Belo Horizonte, MG   BRAZIL
phone: 031-449-2579, fax: 031-441-5481  (from U.S., prefix 011-55)
                  http://www.icb.ufmg.br/~dyanega/
  "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
        is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82