CITES

#GS 03 Biodiversity Conservation

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement adopted in 1963 at a meeting of IUCN.
CITES entered into force in July 1975 and have 184 countries or regional economic integration organizations as parties to it currently.
India joined CITES on 20^th July 1976.
Under CITES the international trade in specimens of selected species is subjected to certain controls.
All import, export, re-export, and introduction of the species covered by the Convention has to be authorized through a licensing system.
Each Party to the Convention must designate one or more Authorities for Management who will be in charge of administering the above mentioned licensing system.
Also, one or more Scientific Authorities need to be designated to advise them on the effects of trade on the status of the species.

Appendix I includes species that are threatened with extinction hence trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.

Appendix II includes species that are not necessarily threatened with extinction, but who’s trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival.

Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one member country, and has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade.
Changes to Appendix III can be made by the individual parities unilaterally unlike Appendices I and II.

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