Editing CITES (section)

== Regulation of trade ==
CITES works by subjecting international trade in specimens of listed [[taxa]] to controls as they move across international borders.<ref>{{cite web |title=How CITES works |url=https://cites.org/eng/disc/how.php |website=CITES.org |access-date=11 August 2022}}</ref> CITES specimens can include a wide range of items including the whole animal/plant (whether alive or dead), or a product that contains a part or derivative of the listed taxa such as [[cosmetics]] or [[traditional medicines]].<ref>{{cite web |title=CITES Article I |url=https://cites.org/eng/disc/text.php#I |website=CITES.org |access-date=11 August 2022}}</ref>

Four types of trade are recognized by CITES - [[import]], [[export]], re-export (export of any specimen that has previously been imported) and introduction from the sea (transportation into a state of specimens of any species which were taken in the marine environment not under the jurisdiction of any state). The CITES definition of "trade" does not require a financial transaction to be occurring. All trade in specimens of species covered by CITES must be authorized through a system of permits and certificates prior to the trade taking place. CITES permits and certificates are issued by one or more Management Authorities in charge of administering the CITES system in each country. Management Authorities are advised by one or more Scientific Authorities on the effects of trade of the specimen on the status of CITES-listed species. CITES permits and certificates must be presented to relevant border authorities in each country in order to authorize the trade.

Each party must enact their own domestic legislation to bring the provisions of CITES into effect in their territories. Parties may choose to take stricter domestic measures than CITES provides (for example by requiring permits/certificates in cases where they would not normally be needed or by prohibiting trade in some specimens).<ref name="Strict">{{cite web |title=CITES Article XIV |url=https://cites.org/eng/disc/text.php#XIV |website=CITES.org |access-date=14 August 2022}}</ref>

[[File:HMRC seized wildlife items - 3.jpg|thumb|Illegally traded wildlife items seized by [[HM Revenue and Customs]] in the [[United Kingdom]]]]

===Appendices===
Over 40,900 species, subspecies and populations are protected under CITES.<ref>{{cite web |title=The CITES species |url=https://cites.org/eng/disc/species.php |website=CITES.org |access-date=7 August 2022}}</ref> Each protected taxa or population is included in one of three lists called Appendices.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|title=Appendices I, II and III|author=Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora|year=2013|access-date=13 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cites.org/eng/app/index.php|title=The CITES Appendices|author=Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora|access-date=13 September 2013}}</ref> The Appendix that lists a taxon or population reflects the level of the threat posed by international trade and the CITES controls that apply.

Taxa may be split-listed meaning that some populations of a species are on one Appendix, while some are on another. The [[African bush elephant]] (''Loxodonta africana'') is currently split-listed, with all populations except those of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe listed in Appendix I.  Those of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe are listed in Appendix II.  There are also species that have only some populations listed in an Appendix. One example is the [[pronghorn]] (''Antilocapra americana''), a ruminant native to North America. Its Mexican population is listed in Appendix I, but its U.S. and Canadian populations are not listed (though certain U.S. populations in Arizona are nonetheless protected under other domestic legislation, in this case the [[Endangered Species Act]]).

Taxa are proposed for inclusion, amendment or deletion in Appendices I and II at meetings of the Conference of the Parties (CoP), which are held approximately once every three years.<ref name="CITES-Calendar">{{cite web|url=http://www.cites.org/eng/news/calendar.php |title=CITES Calendar |publisher=CITES|work=cites.org |access-date=13 February 2012}}</ref> Amendments to listing in Appendix III may be made unilaterally by individual parties.<ref>{{cite web |title=CITES Resolution Conf. 9.25 Implementation of the Convention for species in Appendix III |url=https://cites.org/sites/default/files/document/E-Res-09-25-R18.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119115427/https://cites.org/sites/default/files/document/E-Res-09-25-R18.pdf |archive-date=2022-01-19 |url-status=live |website=CITES.org}}</ref>

====Appendix I====
Appendix I taxa are those that are threatened with [[extinction]] and to which the highest level of CITES protection is afforded. Commercial trade in wild-sourced specimens of these taxa is not permitted and non-commercial trade is strictly controlled by requiring an import permit and export permit to be granted by the relevant Management Authorities in each country before the trade occurs.

Notable taxa listed in Appendix I include the [[red panda]] (''Ailurus fulgens''), [[western gorilla]] (''Gorilla gorilla''), the [[Pan (genus)|chimpanzee]] species (''Pan spp.''), [[tiger]]s (''Panthera tigris'' sp.), [[Asian elephant]] (''Elephas maximus''), [[snow leopard]] (''Panthera uncia''), [[red-shanked douc]] (''Pygathrix nemaeus''), some populations of [[African bush elephant]] (''Loxodonta africana''),{{efn|CITES treats the [[African forest elephant]] as a subspecies of ''L. africana'' and thus protected under Appendix I; most authorities now classify the forest elephant as a separate species, ''L. cyclotis''.}} and the [[monkey puzzle tree]] (''Araucaria araucana'').<ref name="CITES-Appendices">{{cite web|title=Appendices I, II and III |url=http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|publisher=CITES |work=cites.org |access-date=13 February 2012}}</ref>

====Appendix II====
Appendix II taxa are those that are not necessarily threatened with extinction, but trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival. Appendix II taxa may also include species similar in appearance to species already listed in the Appendices. The vast majority of taxa listed under CITES are listed in Appendix II.<ref>{{cite web |title=The CITES species |url=https://cites.org/eng/disc/species.php |website=CITES.org |access-date=11 August 2022}}</ref> Any trade in Appendix II taxa standardly requires a CITES export permit or re-export certificate to be granted by the Management Authority of the exporting country before the trade occurs.

Examples of taxa listed on Appendix II are the [[great white shark]] (''Carcharodon carcharias''), the [[American black bear]] (''Ursus americanus''), [[Hartmann's mountain zebra]] (''Equus zebra hartmannae''), [[green iguana]] (''Iguana iguana''), [[queen conch]] (''Strombus gigas''), [[emperor scorpion]] (''Pandinus imperator''), [[Mertens' water monitor]] (''Varanus mertensi''), bigleaf mahogany (''[[Swietenia macrophylla]]''), [[lignum vitae]] (''Guaiacum officinale''), the [[chambered nautilus]] (''Nautilus pompilius''), all [[stony corals]] (''Scleractinia'' spp.), [[Jungle cat]] (''Felis chaus'') and [[American ginseng]] (''Panax quinquefolius'').

====Appendix III====
Appendix III species are those that are protected in at least one country, and that country has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade.
Any trade in Appendix III species standardly requires a CITES export permit (if sourced from the country that listed the species) or a certificate of origin (from any other country) to be granted before the trade occurs.

Examples of species listed on Appendix III and the countries that listed them are the [[Hoffmann's two-toed sloth]] (''Choloepus hoffmanni'') by Costa Rica, [[sitatunga]] (''Tragelaphus spekii'') by [[Ghana]] and [[African civet]] (''Civettictis civetta'') by Botswana.

===Exemptions and special procedures===
Under Article VII, the Convention allows for certain exceptions to the general trade requirements described above.

====Pre-Convention specimens====
CITES provides for a special process for specimens that were acquired before the provisions of the Convention applied to that specimen. These are known as "pre-Convention" specimens and must be granted a CITES pre-Convention certificate before the trade occurs. Only specimens legally acquired before the date on which the species concerned was first included in the Appendices qualify for this exemption.<ref>{{cite web |title=CITES Resolution 13.6 |url=https://cites.org/sites/default/files/document/E-Res-13-06-R18.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101224314/https://cites.org/sites/default/files/document/E-Res-13-06-R18.pdf |archive-date=2020-11-01 |url-status=live |website=CITES.org |access-date=7 August 2022}}</ref>

====Personal and household effects====
CITES provides that the standard permit/certificate requirements for trade in CITES specimens do not generally apply if a specimen is a personal or household effect.<ref>{{cite web |title=Article VII |url=https://cites.org/eng/disc/text.php#VII |website=CITES.org |access-date=7 August 2022}}</ref> However, there are a number of situations where permits/certificates for personal or household effects are required and some countries choose to take stricter domestic measures by requiring permits/certificates for some or all personal or household effects.<ref name="Strict"/>

====Captive bred or artificially propagated specimens====
CITES allows trade in specimens to follow special procedures if Management Authorities are satisfied that they are sourced from [[Captive breeding|captive bred]] animals or [[Plant propagation|artificially propagated]] plants.<ref>{{cite web |title=CITES Article VII |url=https://cites.org/eng/disc/text.php#VII |website=CITES.org |access-date=14 August 2022}}</ref> 
In the case of commercial trade of Appendix I taxa, captive bred or artificially propagated specimens may be traded as if they were Appendix II. This reduces the permit requirements from two permits (import/export) to one (export only). 
In the case of non-commercial trade, specimens may be traded with a certificate of captive breeding/artificial propagation issued by the Management Authority of the state of export in lieu of standard permits.

====Scientific exchange====
Standard CITES permit and certificates are not required for the non-commercial loan, donation or exchange between [[Research institute|scientific]] or [[Wildlife forensic science|forensic institutions]] that have been registered by a Management Authority of their State. Consignments containing the specimens must carry a label issued or approved by that Management Authority (in some cases Customs Declaration labels may be used). Specimens that may be included under this provision include museum, herbarium, diagnostic and forensic research specimens.<ref>{{cite web |title=CITES Resolution Conf.11.15 |url=https://cites.org/sites/default/files/documents/E-Res-11-15-R18.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802065940/https://cites.org/sites/default/files/documents/E-Res-11-15-R18.pdf |archive-date=2021-08-02 |url-status=live |website=CITES.org |access-date=18 August 2022}}</ref> Registered institutions are listed on the CITES website.<ref>{{cite web |title=Register of scientific institutions |url=https://cites.org/eng/common/reg/e_si.html |website=CITES.org |access-date=18 August 2022}}</ref>