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Government

Science

Industry

The following presentation was given at the

Joint Technical Workshop on Queen Conch and Spiny Lobster

November 14-18, 2005

San Andres, Colombia

The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the workshop’s sponsoring agencies…

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Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

CITES trade dataGCFI/IQCI Technical workshop on queen

conch fisheries issuesSan Andres y Providencia, Colombia

14-18 November 2005

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Annual Report data …

• CITES Parties must prepare annual reports detailing imports and exports of species listed in the Convention’s three Appendices

Article VIII, paragraph 7 (a)

• Data compiled into the CITES trade database managed on behalf of the CITES Secretariat by the UNEP- World Conservation Monitoring Centre

• Trade database can be accessed on line – consult “A guide to interpreting Outputs from the CITES Trade Database”!

5,600,000 +5,600,000 +

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… an under-utilized resource

• Many Parties put a significant amount of time and effort into compiling annual reports

• However, few take advantage of the wealth of information to be found within the larger database, compiled subsets of which are available to them on request

• Main limitation: Analyses supported by CITES trade data are only as accurate and comprehensive as the data submitted in CITES annual reports

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Strombus gigas: specimens and units

Terms Unit

Bodies numbers; kg

Carvings numbers; kg; pairs

Derivatives numbers; kg

Live numbers; kg

Meat numbers; boxes; cases; kg

Pearls numbers; kg

Shells numbers; kg; pairs; pieces

Specimens numbers; kg

Unspecified number; kg; pairs

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Total Net exports of Total Net exports of S. gigas S. gigas 1992-20041992-2004 – – specimens and unitsspecimens and units

Term Unit Total 92-04

bodies 324,386

bodies kg 10,000

carvings kg 84,679

carvings pairs 950

derivatives 689

derivatives kg 188

live 409,619

live kg 358,671

meat 258,346

meat boxes 49

meat cases 1,377

meat kg 28,839,471

pearls 5,592

pearls kg 4

shells 2,838,217

shells kg 209,042

shells pairs 704

shells pieces 400

specimens 31,094

specimens kg 2

unspecified 3,238

unspecified kg 20,417

unspecified pairs 69

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Using CITES trade data• To compare records of exports with import records (comparative

tabulation)

• To analyze trade trends (source, traders, volumes, shifts, etc.) and identify problematic trade

• Quota management and control

• Review of Significant Trade

The following cannot be answered with CITES data alone:

– enforcement of CITES

– Impact of trade on status of species and/or ecosystems

– Socio-economic aspects of trade

Further information that would assist with the interpretation of CITES trade data:

– Conservation status and biology

– Harvest and trade controls; Illegal trade

– Levels of offtake, harvest or landings prior to export; fisheries export and import data

– Customs data; market information; values

8All trade in Strombus gigas Imports reported Exports reportedYear Imp. Exp. Origin QuantityUnit Term P S Quantity Unit Term P S

2004 GB AE 1 shells I2004 GB AG 5 shells I2004 GB AG 3.12 kg shells I2004 GB BB 3 shells I2004 PL BB 1 shells I2004 DE BS 1 shells P U2004 GB BS 12 shells I2004 NZ BS 2 shells P W2004 AE CA TC 200 kg shells T W2004 HN CA HN 9080 kg meat T W2004 SD CA TC 470 kg shells T W2004 IT CH CO 70 shells T W2004 AT CU 3 shells P W2004 CA CU 2000 kg meat T W2004 DE CU 5 shells P U2004 GB CU 3 shells I2004 MX CU 13320 kg meat T W2004 TR DE XX 1 shells L I2004 HR DK XX 1 shells E I2004 LT DK XX 1 shells E I 1 shells E I2004 CA DO 23864 kg meat T W2004 DE DO 3 shells P U2004 DE DO 5 shells P W2004 GB DO 2 shells I2004 PL DO 2 shells I2004 AU GB XX 3 carvings P O2004 GB GB XX 1 shells I

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Main importers of S. gigas meat (in kg; 92-04)

GP, 2%

MX, 1%

PR, 3%

MQ, 4% FR, 14%

US, 74%

• Importers of 27,973,576 kg of meat, representing 98% of all reported meat trade [28,839,471 kg]

10S. gigas export quotas 2001-05 (in Kg)

27,918

261,318

9,000743,35

99,000

693,359

9,000

203,359

1,117,359

Total

27,918

45,359 45,359 45,359 45,35945,359Nicaragua

   550,00

0 

500,000

  946,000Jamaica

 70,000       Cuba

 29,3869,000148,00

09,000

148,000

9,000

158,000

126,000Colombia

 116,57

3       Bahamas

Meat*MeatShellMeatShellMeatShellMeatMeat 

2005 

2004 

2003 

2002 

2001Country

* meat obtained from various monitoring activities and morphological studies

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Export quotas for S. gigas meat (Kg) and recorded net exports

73,27745,35945,35945,35945,359Quota

?  ?45,03835,77344,371Net exportsNI 

 550,000500,000 -946,000Quota

?  ?667,652531,400683,575Net exportsJM 

70,000--- -Quota

? 15,32015,85225,00040,000Net exportsCU 

29,386148,000148,000158,000126,000Quota

?? 122,30179,13379,052Net exportsCO 

116,573--- -Quota

?  ?39,362132,180219,787Net exportsBS 

20052004200320022001 Exporter

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Recommendations conc. CITES trade data

CITES Review of Significant Trade (2003)

• Establish a standardized minimum weight of unprocessed and processed meat that corresponds to adult specimens

• Improve reporting of trade volumes especially in dependent territories of France, the Netherlands and the UK

• All meat in international trade should be reported in kilograms (kg) and live specimens and shells in kilograms (kg) or number of specimens

• range States should collect and communicate information on percentages of tissue loss (and thus weight) during the processing of S. gigas meat

• collaborate in establishment of standardized terminology and conversion factors for processed meat of S. gigas that allow estimation of the number of animals in international trade

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Recommendations conc. data and reporting

IQCI meeting in Montego Bay (2003) relating to improvement of status and trends reporting for queen conch stocks

• Promote exchange of standardized data to facilitate a more accurate regional picture of status and trends of S. gigas stocks. In this regard, a harmonized conversion factor for conch product types is critical

• States should consult within governments to reduce discrepancies in reporting on status and trends of stocks as well as trade data (e.g. differences in CITES data and fisheries export data)

• Participate in the implementation of FAO’s Strategy for Improvement of Status and Trends of Fisheries

• Region should request that Queen Conch be considered as a priority by FAO in implementing the Strategy