Said Wildlife Conservation Society VP of International Policy Susan Lieberman:

“Science and wildlife conservation prevailed at CITES CoP17. The decisions made by the gathering countries were based on the best available scientific information. Further, we were encouraged that governments fully embraced the precautionary principle by making decisions in the best interest of the species in the wild. After attending 11 CoPs, I strongly believe this was among the most successful CoP ever for wildlife.

“We particularly want to highlight and appreciate the science-based decisions on the following:

• The transfer of all 8 pangolin species, 4 found in Africa and 4 found in Asia, to Appendix I;
• The transfer of the African grey parrot, heavily sought after for the pet trade, to Appendix I;
• The inclusion of all 9 species of devil rays, the 3 thresher shark species, and the silky shark in CITES Appendix II, resulting in international trade restrictions to ensure their exports are sustainable and legal;
• The adoption of key resolutions and decisions dealing with closure of domestic elephant ivory markets; illegal trade in rhino horn; National Ivory Action Plans; the Decision Making Mechanism on elephant proposals; corruption; the critically endangered helmeted hornbill; illegal trade in cheetahs; sharks and rays; tortoises and freshwater turtles; and so much more.

“The WCS recommendations throughout the CoP were all based on science.

“WCS looks forward to continuing to work closely with Party governments, the Secretariat, and our IGO and NGO partners, to help ensure that the decisions governments made at this CoP are implemented effectively.

“WCS commits to continuing to scale up our efforts to combat the scourge of wildlife trafficking across the globe—from our on-the-ground work in the field in more than 60 countries; to working to assist governments in anti-trafficking, intelligence gathering and analysis, and enhancing enforcement; to working to reduce demand, based on sound scientific approaches; to working at the global policy level. 

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For WCS positions at CITES, go to wcs.org/cites