Call
to CITES: stop stimulating demand for endangered species
EIA PRESS RELEASE
19 February 2013
The
campaigning Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is calling on
international policy-makers to Stop Stimulating Demand for critically
endangered species.
The London-based NGO cautioned that
conflicting decisions and top-level discussions regarding trades in the
products of endangered species such as elephants, tigers and precious
woods create consumer confusion and ultimately drive poaching/theft by
criminals to supply rising demand.
EIA will be promoting its Stop
Stimulating Demand message at the 16th meeting of the Conference of
Parties (CoP16) to the UN Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Bangkok,
Thailand, from March 3-14, 2013.
Executive Director Mary Rice
said: “International criminal networks are decimating key species
worldwide to feed a growing demand for wildlife products that is being
stimulated by contradictory signals and messages which undermine
existing prohibitions or fuel the anticipation of future legalised
markets.
“Both actions serve to confuse consumers as to the
illegality of a product, working against demand-reduction initiatives
and effectively encouraging stockpiling by those speculating on future
trade.”
The Stop Stimulating Demand message frames EIA’s key goals at CITES CoP16, pressing Parties on:
Elephants:
* close down all ivory markets, both legal and illegal; * amend policies that currently stimulate demand for ivory products; tackle the criminal networks behind the illegal ivory trade.
Tigers:
* stop all trade in parts and products of captive-bred tigers; commission
an independent body to review implementation of existing resolutions
and decisions relating to tigers and other Asian big cats; * enact trade suspensions against countries found to be in non-compliance with the letter and/or spirit of CITES resolutions.
Forests:
*
support the proposal by Thailand and Vietnam to list Siam rosewood on
Appendix II of CITES to allow for more rigorous monitoring of regulated
trade; * support proposals for listing Malagasy ebony and rosewood, Honduran rosewood, black rosewood and granadillo rosewood.
Stop Stimulating Demand short film on Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/59588468
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