The United States Fish and Wildlife Service announced changes to the CITES Appendices.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service wishes to inform stakeholders of recent changes to the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) affecting reptiles, amphibians and insects. The changes noted below result from recent decisions that were made at the 15th Meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP15) held in Doha, Qatar, March 13 through March 25, 2010. These changes to the Appendices will become effective on June 23, 2010.
Three spiny-tailed iguana species endemic to Honduras, Ctenosaura bakeri, C. oedirhina, and C. melanosterna, and the endemic Guatemalan spiny-tailed iguana, C. palearis, were included in Appendix II. In addition, five species of treefrogs, Agalychnis moreletii, A. callidryas, A. annae, A. saltator and A. spurrelli, which are native to Mexico and one or more countries in Central and South America, were also included in Appendix II. Specimens of Appendix-II species require CITES export documents issued by the exporting country prior to entering international trade.
The Kaiser’s spotted newt (Neurergus kaiseri), endemic to Iran, was included in Appendix I. Appendix I includes species that are threatened with extinction, and trade in specimens of these species is subject to strict regulation. International trade in specimens of these species is only authorized in exceptional circumstances, such as for scientific research or zoological breeding and display. CITES prohibits commercial international trade in specimens of Appendix-I species. Specimens of Appendix-I species require the issuance of CITES documents by both the importing and exporting countries prior to entering international trade.
Information on U.S. permitting requirements and procedures for obtaining permits can be found in the permits section of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website. To obtain information on the permitting requirements of other countries, refer to the list of national contacts in the CITES National Contact Database. If you have any further questions about changes to the CITES Appendices, please contact the Division of Scientific Authority. This information will also be posted on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website.
