CITES

Simple Summary: The illegal pet trade remains an ongoing, substantial threat to wild populations,
especially small insular populations, and can even lead to extinction. Fraudulent activity within the
global reptile trade is known to occur, but its identification through forensic applications depends
on knowledge of diversity within wild populations. In this study, we assessed the geographic origin
of melanistic iguanas (Iguana iguana), which are only found in nations that have never authorized
legal export of live animals. Analysis of genetic data from two pet iguanas in the USA flag these as
originating from Saba or Montserrat, from which no export permits have ever been issued, confirming
their illegal origin. Despite the international trade in I. iguana, in which tens‐ if not hundreds of
thousands of specimens are traded each year, only a handful of individuals have been genetically
assessed. Our work highlights the utility of applying forensic genetic techniques to this trade in
order to track and discourage illegal activity.

Abstract: Lizards within the Iguana iguana species complex are among the most common reptilian
pets, with the widest natural geographic range among iguanids. Deep phylogenetic divergence distinguishes
multiple mitochondrial clades, and several taxonomic changes have recently been proposed.
These small populations, typically island endemics, are threatened by numerous factors, including
the international pet trade. Recent investigations reveal the absence of required CITES permits
for lawful export of animals, providing evidence of ongoing illegal trade. Additional monitoring
of trade in iguanas can be achieved through the application of forensic molecular techniques. In
this study, two captive melanistic iguanas were genotyped for molecular markers for which geographic
distributions of alleles have been established. Mitochondrial sequencing indicates that both
animals carry a haplotype known to originate from the islands of Saba and Montserrat, populations
taxonomically proposed to be Iguana melanoderma. Genotypes at 15 microsatellite loci are equally
consistent with this origin, given the results of a principal component analysis. This first forensic
genetic assessment within the extensive I. iguana pet trade highlights the presence of illegal activity.
The need for additional forensic assessments of pet‐trade iguanas is evident, especially given that
their value is driven by variety and rarity, which is further intensified by recent taxonomic changes.

Despite years of regional discussions and trade regulation under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), most queen conch fisheries suffer from uncoordinated management and unsustain- able harvest. Queen conch is listed in Appendix II of the treaty and, as such, each shipment of the species must be accompanied by a permit for which the exporting country has made findings that the specimens have been legally acquired and that the trade is sustainable. The Appendix-II listing for Queen conch has proven to be a useful complement to national management pro- grams. In April 2003, the CITES Secretariat released a lengthy analysis of the Caribbean conch fisheries and associated international trade. Subsequently, the International Queen Conch Initiative (IQCI) convened its members to discuss this report and renew calls for regional cooperation on law enforce- ment, management measures, and capacity building. A list of regional commitments resulted from this meeting, and will be formally transmitted to the CITES process as the trade analysis unfolds. These commitments will be considered as CITES considers how member countries should act to reduce poaching, coordinate management, and ensure sustainable international trade in the species. This entire process, known as the CITES “review of significant trade” will require governments in the Wider Caribbean to bring about sustainable use of this resource, via binding management advice from an international technical committee. Specific CITES actions and timelines for their completion will be available by autumn 2003. This report discusses the reasons for a second CITES trade analysis, presents fundamentals of the CITES significant trade review process, highlights the outcomes of a 2003 technical committee meeting, and makes some conclusions about the future of regional conch management in the wider Caribbean. 

From a global perspective, March has been busy when it comes to regulatory affairs with the CITES meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, in which worldwide protection for several shark species and manta rays was established and, closer to home, with the EEZ Meeting on Curaçao which will be showcased as the ‘Meeting of the Month’. This report is complemented by a short article on the importance of marine mammal conservation in the Dutch Caribbean.

Amongst others, you will find in this third issue:

• Overview of Research and Monitoring Efforts
• EEZ Meeting on Curaçao
• Marine Mammal Conservation in the Dutch Caribbean
• Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database update
• Shark Protection on CITES Convention
• Calendar of Upcoming Events, Meetings and Workshops

Abstract:

The marine ornamental fish trade began in the 1930s in Sri Lanka, spread to Hawaii and the Philippines in the 1950s, and expanded to a multi-million dollar industry in the 1970s with fisheries established throughout the tropical Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Currently, 45 countries supply global markets an estimated 14-30 million fish annually, with an import value of US$28-44 million. The largest suppliers are Indonesia and the Philippines, followed by Brazil, Maldives, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Hawaii. In the tropical Western Atlantic, 16 countries have export fisheries, including the U.S. (Florida and Puerto Rico). The U.S. is the world’s largest buyer, followed by the European Union and Japan. The global trade consists of over 1400 species of reef fishes, of which only about 25 are captive bred on a commercial scale. Damselfish, anemonefish, and angelfish constitute over 50% of the global volume; butterflyfish, wrasses, blennies, gobies, triggerfish, filefish, hawkfishes, groupers and basselets account for 31% of the trade, and the remaining 16% is represented by 33 families. The most important fishes from the Caribbean are angelfish (six species), seahorses (two species), royal gramma, jawfish, queen triggerfish, redlip blenny, puddingwife, bluehead wrasse, and blue chromis. The Caribbean currently supplies a small percentage of the global trade in marine ornamental species, but ornamental fisheries in this region represent important emerging industries. It is critical that effective ornamental fishery management plans and regulations are developed and enforced, and fishery-dependent and fishery-independent data are collected and utilized in decision making processes to ensure sustainable ornamental fisheries throughout the region.