What is IUCN?

The IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature was founded in 1948 as the world’s first global environmental organisation. With their vision of having a just world that values and conserves nature, the mission of the 1,000 member governments and Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that the use of any natural resource is equitable and sustainable.

What is the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species?

Since its establishment, IUCN scientists and volunteers have been developing conservation science, managing field projects all over the world and have worked with governments, NGOs and key players to develop, and implement policy, laws and best practices.

Since 1963, the IUCN, through its Species Survival Commission (SSC) has been assessing the conservation status of a taxon (species, subspecies, varieties), and selected sub-populations, on a global scale using the IUCN Red List system. The purpose of this assessment is to highlight taxa that are threatened with extinction and therefore promote their conservation through publications of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is a comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species, using a set of five quantitative criteria (A-E) and nine categories (Extinct, Extinct in the Wild, Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, Near Threatened, Least Concern, Data Deficient or Not Evaluated). This system is called the IUCN Categories and Criteria

http://intranet.iucn.org/webfiles/doc/SSC/RedList/redlistcatsenglish.pdf

and is designed to determine the relative risk of extinction of a taxon. Taxa that fall into the three categories: Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable are threatened taxa. To be listed as any one of these three threatened categories, the taxon of interest is evaluated against all five criteria (A-E), which are quantitative in nature. The higher the criteria met, the greater the risk of extinction for the species. Some common questions that the Redlist of Threatened species can answer are: back to top

What is CITES?

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international treaty that was drawn up in 1973 and enforced in 1975 to protect wildlife through controlling international trade. In other words, the treaty aims to ensure that the international trade of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

This was a result of the growing concern that there was a need to provide measures to safeguard the over-exploitations of certain endangered and ecologically important species.

The treaty recognizes that the states (countries) and its people as the best protectors of their own flora and fauna. States or countries voluntarily join the treaty. Once they become a CITES member, states become a ‘Party’ and are legally bound to implement the treaty in their home countries.

This means that each year, each Party must collect species-specific trade data and assess whether each species is being over-exploited. If it is being over-exploited the Party must undertake measures and practices that as provided for in the treaty and within the boundaries of its national legislation. Such measures may be a complete ban on the trade or a decrease in the trade quota until the identified species population is secure enough for continued trade.

CITES now has 172 parties, all of whom will only trade CITES certified/ licensed wildlife.

Species covered by CITES are listed in three appendices: Appendix I, Appendix II and Appendix III, according to the degree of protection required for their survival.

Appendix I lists CITES species that are threatened with extinction. The trade of specimens of these species is permitted only if it is for non-commercial purposes, such as scientific research. Trading for the exceptional cases may only take place if there an export permit and an import permit have been granted. 

Appendix II lists CITES species that are not threatened with extinction now, but may be so in the future if trade is not controlled now. This Appendix also includes species look-alikes – species that are in trade, and have look-alike species that are listed for conservation reasons. As in the case of the species in Appendix I, these species in Appendix II may not be traded for commercial purposes, with the only exception being for scientific research. International trade of Appendix II species is authorised by an export permit or re-export certificate. No import permit is required for these species.

Appendix III lists CITES species that are protected in at least one country which has asked other CITES parties to assist them in controlling the trade of the species.

Fiji is heavily involved in the international trade of species, and has been so since the arrival of the First Fijians. Before the arrival of Europeans, Fiji was heavily trading with Tonga, Samoa and other Pacific island countries, especially for bird feathers and tools for war and craftsmanship. Today, Fiji is still involved in the trade of specimens; the most popular of these being our ocean resources, especially tuna and coral reef fishes and live coral for food and the Aquarium trade respectively.

Fiji officially became a party to the CITES on the 29th of December, 1997. In 2002, the CITES Secretariat found that Fiji did not have adequate legislation to in place to control the international trade of wildlife, particularly marine species for the aquarium trade and suspended Fiji’s membership. This suspension meant that Fiji was not allowed to participate in the international trade of wildlife, a move that affected the numerous Fiji coastal communities and trade businesses that were involved in the harvesting and selling of marine species and coral for the aquarium trade.

Fiji’s significant efforts to implement the correct legislation in the form of the Endangered Species Act 2002 saw the lifting of the ban, and Fiji’s re-entry as a party to CITES.

In 2007, the Fiji Cabinet approved a submission that all companies trading wildlife strictly follow the provisions of the Endangered Species Act. As of 2007, there were seven companies known to be involved in the international trade of Fiji’s wildlife.

As is required in the ESP Act 2002, Fiji’s CITES scientific council has been established to advise the CITES Management Council on the scientific research findings of CITES listed species. The CITES Management Council then advises the Fiji Government on its obligations under CITES based on these research findings.

More information on CITES can be found at http://www.cites.org/. The Fiji government website also provides some details on the governments recent actions towards CITES: http://www.fiji.gov.fj/publish/page_8550.shtml. Many international and regional environmental or conservation based non-governmental organisations currently in Fiji and the University of the South Pacific, as well as the relevant government departments promote the awareness of and conduct research on Fiji’s CITES listed species.

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The Endangered and Protected Species Act was enacted in 2002 primarily to regulate and control the international trade, domestic trade and transportation of species protected under CITES and for related matters. This Act also requires that proper inventories of Fiji’s wildlife are provided to ascertain the status of Fiji’s endangered and protected species; and therefore nationally declare the protection of Fiji’s CITES listed species and other non-CITES but equally vulnerable species.

The list of non-CITES listed species that also require protection under the Act are found in Schedule 1 and Schedule 2:
Under this the EPS Act, no species in Schedule 1 or 2 can be traded without an export or import or re-export permit, whilst CITES listed species are bound by the CITES regulations.

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IUCN Redlist of Threatened Species
CITES
Endangered and Protected Species Act 2002

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