FOUR PAWS at CITES CoP19
What is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and why is FOUR PAWS participating
The international trade in endangered animals and plants is regulated by a United Nations multilateral treaty, The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It is an international agreement between world governments (Parties) and its role is to regulate trade and protect wildlife from overexploitation and extinction.
Every two to three years, CITES Parties meet during an international conference called the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to evaluate the protection levels given to different species. The main event at CoP are Appendix changes, where Parties discuss whether a species needs a higher or lower level of protection.
This year, the 19th CoP will be taking place in November in Panama.
The role of FOUR PAWS
CITES has huge implications on captive breeding and the commercial trade of big cats, two of the focus areas for FOUR PAWS.
For years, FOUR PAWS has been investigating the commercial trade of live big cats and their body parts and is campaigning to change legislation in key areas of the world – such as South Africa (the biggest global exporter of big cats and their parts) and Europe. Our findings suggest these countries are supplying the demand for big cat parts to be used illegally.
According to CITES, the existence of a legal trade contravenes CITES Decision 14.69, which states tigers cannot be commercially bred for trade in their parts. Both South Africa and Europe are a Party of CITES, yet both are in contravention of this Decision, by breeding and commercially trading Appendix I big cat species and are exporting large numbers of big cats to Asia.
FOUR PAWS Recommendations
4 suggestions to make CITES successful
Year of the Tiger Report
Big cat farming in South Africa
Find us at CoP19
Ioana Dungler – International Director of Wild Animal Department
Ioana has been employed at FOUR PAWS since 2000 and works today as the International Director of the Wild Animal Department. In this key role she supervises important international projects and campaigns, including FOUR PAWS big cat and bear sanctuaries, as well as the horse project and ORANGUTAN FOREST SCHOOL. She is board member of LIONSROCK Big Cats Sanctuary in South Africa, of FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary in the Netherlands, of TIERART Wild Animal Sanctuary in Germany, the European Alliance of Rescue Centers and Sanctuaries (E.A.R.S.) as well as chairwoman of the Stitching Panthera in the Netherlands.
