Cites’ budget cut at end of meeting

Member states approved a cut in real terms in Cites\' budget, which could compromise efforts to control the illegal wildlife trade, BBC News reports. And, the conference saw a shift in conservation politics, with Ministers throwing their weight behind negotiations. The Guardian notes that China emerged for the first time as a major player at Cites, surprising delegates with its activism. Cites signatories turned their attention as never before to common timber and fish vital to the economies of many nations. According to an ENS-Newswire report, by the end of the meeting, more than 100 formal decisions had been adopted that update the regulations governing international wildlife trade. Possibly the biggest single issue facing the forum had been faced on the second last day, when delegates voted to allow southern African countries a one-off sale of stockpiled ivory, the third such sale since ivory was banned in 1989. But, the BBC News report notes, there is deep concern about the documented rise in illegal trading in ivory and rhinoceros horn, which is partly down to the low capacity of some central and west African nations to control poaching and domestic markets. There are additional concerns that the reduction of funds to the organisation may well harm its ability to monitor at a national-level the trade in wildlife, a factor critical to the success of the organisation\'s work. Full BBC News report Full report in The Guardian Full ENS-Newswire report

In order to avoid a stand-off at the meeting, Kenya and Mali withdrew their demands to expand and tighten the 1989 world ban on trade in elephant ivory, reports The Mercury. The two countries scaled back their proposal to a 12-year ban from 20 years and conceded that a one-off sale of ivory would be acceptable. Kenya and Mali say elephant poaching is on the rise and causes the deaths of about 19 000 of the animals a year in Africa, where elephants number about 470 000-685 000 against the millions of decades ago. But, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa argue that their elephant populations are on the rise and that regulated sales of tusks benefit communities where elephants come into conflict with people. Full report in The Mercury

Cites again turned its back on attempts by Japan, Iceland and their pro-whaling allies to lift restrictions on commercial trade in whale products. The delegates elected to adopt an Australian resolution that no reviews of whale products be taken as long as the International Whaling Commission\'s ban on commercial whaling continues, ENS-Newswire reports. Full ENS-Newswire report

All but one of seven sawfish species have been granted the highest level of protection possible in the form of a ban on international trade in the fish or its parts, notes a report in The Mercury. Cites approved a request from Australia that the seventh species be included in the less restrictive category, allowing trade in live animals to public aquariums for conservation purposes. China, Qatar and Indonesia were among the countries that voted against the measure. A proposal to protect two other ocean predators similarly decimated by over-exploitation, the porbeagle shark and the spiny dogfish, was rejected in a tight vote. Full report in The Mercury Cites press release