Abstract
Some of the recent letters from avicu I tu ris ts to the Fish and Wildlife Service concerning the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (usually referred to by its acronym CITES) have indicated that it would be useful to clarify the requirements of CITES, as distinct from those of the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
Provisions of CITES
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is a multinational agreement to regulate international trade in certain wild animal and plant species in order to prevent their overexploitation through such trade. CITES operates by a system of permits, which are to be issued by designated Management Authorities in each participating country. A special feature of CITES is that permits are to be issued only on the advice of designated Scientific Authorities in each country. From the accompanying tables, you can see that CITES regulates only international shipment of listed species. It does not apply to shipment or other activities within the United States.
Species subject to trade controls (which apply to all imports or exports, not only commercial traffic) are listed in three appendices to CITES. Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction that are or may be affected by trade. Appendix II includes species that although not necessarily threatened with extinction may become so unless trade in them is strictly controlled. It also lists species that must be subject to regulation in order that trade in other currently or potentially threatened species may be brought under effective control. Such listings may be required because of difficulty in distinguishing specimens of currently or potentially threatened species from other species at ports of entry. Appendix III includes species that any Party nation identifies as ~eing subject to regulation within its Jllrtsdiction for purposes of preventing or restricting exploitation, and for which it needs cooperation of other
Parties in controlling trade.
All together, the three appendices include about 2,400 species of animals and 30,000 species of plants (most of the latter are included under the general listing of orchids and cacti on Appendix II). Presently, 32 species or subspecies of parrots are listed in CITES Appendix I. All other species in the order Psittaciformes are listed in CITES Appendix II, with only three exceptions. These are the rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri), which is listed in Appendix III by Ghana, and the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) and cockatiel (Nympbicus hollandicus), which are not listed in any appendix.
Provisions of the Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is a U.S. law designed to provide for the conservation of endangered or threatened species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. The Act resembles CITES in that it establishes permit requirements for the international shipment of listed species. However, the Act goes beyond CITES in regulating interstate and foreign commerce, and the taking of listed species within the United States.
Species subject to the Act are listed by the Fish and Wildlife Service, or by the National Marine Fisheries Service in some cases, as either endangered (in danger of extinction) or threatened (likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future). With few exceptions, the same activities are regulated for both endangered and threatened species. Endangered species permits may be issued only for purposes of scientific research or enhancement of propagation or survival of the species. Threatened species permits may be issued for these purposes and, in addition, for zoological exhibition, educational purposes, economic hardship, or for any other purpose consistent with the overall purposes of the Act.
The Act applies to far fewer psittacines than does CITES. A total of 26 species or subspecies of parrots are listed as endangered under the Act.
None are listed as threatened. Among the endangered psittacines are several species of interest to aviculturists: the paradise parakeet (Psephotus pulcherri mus), scarlet-chested parakeet (Neophema splendida), and turquoise parakeet (N pulchella).
The primary concern of the Fish and Wildlife Service with respect to such species is the conservation of wild populations. Because the Act applies to both wild and captive individuals, streamlined methods have been developed to meet the Act's permit requirements for activities with captive-bred birds. General permission to conduct certain otherwise prohibited activities has been given, by regulation, to any qualified person who registers with the Service. These captive wildlife regulations are intended to facilitate routine husbandry work for listed animals. They allow trade in captive-bred endangered parrots among registered psittacine breeders with a minimum of paperwork.