The decisions were proposed and recommended at the CITES standing committee meeting
Photo: iStock The parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) have decided to join hands for illegal trade of parts and derivatives of jaguar and eliminating poaching through controlled enforcement drives.
The recommendations and decisions were submitted to the standing committee of the CITES that were taken during the meeting held in Cuiaba, Brazil in September 2023.
As per the 19th meeting of Conference of the Parties (COP19) to CITES, the parties have been directed to “urgently adopt comprehensive and enforcement controls” with an aim to eliminate poaching of jaguars.
It further directed the parties to consider jaguar as a priority species for enforcement operations and measures to be taken against wildlife crimes.
In September, the parties met to achieve five objectives for jaguar conservation mainly with sharing information on illegal trade in jaguars, reducing loss and fragmentation of its habitats and preventing negative interactions between humans and jaguars.
It further aimed to prevent illegal killing and trade of the species. Apart from prevention measures, it focussed on aligning conservation efforts and building strategies to reduce demand of the species production in illegal trade. Behaviour change, encouraging promotion of coexistence and creating livelihood alternatives to curb killing of jaguars and its parts and derivatives was also a part of the agenda.
The parties who met also planned to review existing options for bringing an intergovernmental platform aimed at creating a support system for states in terms of jaguar conservation and achieving above mentioned objectives effectively via continental action plan.
It further aimed to establish systems for monitoring illegal killing of jaguars and roping with local communities and indigenous people to engage with enforcement authorities.
Regarding the discussions on Jaguar Conservation Roadmap 2030, participants asserted the need to strengthen the means to achieve “synergetic implementation of international commitments related to the jaguar, including the identification of jaguar conservation units, jaguar corridors, sustainable funding opportunities, reduction of the demand of illegal jaguar products, monitoring and information systems and options for an intergovernmental platform and a continental working programme to prevent the illegal killing of jaguars and associated illegal trade in their parts and derivatives.”
The roadmap aimed to assess the 80 jaguar landscapes for effective conservation actions by understanding the population size, density, trends, habitat quality and presence / absence of the animal.
In addition to illegal trade and poaching, the parties decided to identify threats for the wild animal such as killing by humans in human-animal conflict, habitat loss such as wildfire, infrastructure, increase in agricultural practices and decrease in prey availability.
Apart from jaguar, it also took decisions on conservation of big cats for their protection and conservation, and demanded parties to share information on the conservation steps taken for poaching incidents regarding leopards.
It also urged all parties who have Asian big cats to strengthen compliance monitoring and enforcement of laws for keeping captive tigers through strict regulatory measures and identification using microchips, DNA analysis and stripe identification images.
The report document also stated, “Parties in whose territories there are facilities that breed large numbers of tigers and facilities housing large numbers of tigers to consider taking a more methodical approach regarding these facilities to improve their conservation and educational value, as well as to put an end to the activities of facilities that do not have conservation or educational value, fail to comply with regulations and pose a risk regarding parts and derivatives from these animals entering illegal trade.”
The approach could possibly include identifying facilities for keeping tigers having genetic and conservation value. Another step would be to ensure public access and adequate welfare conditions in compliance with international guidelines for captive tigers.
It also urged to, “Restrict the captive population to a level supportive only to conserving wild tigers and that tigers should not be bred for trade in their parts and derivatives, prohibiting the establishment of new facilities keeping tigers in captivity with narrow exemptions where warranted.”
It directed the parties to assess the need to reduce centres, sanctuaries and other measures such as euthanasia, if required, as a result of phase out of intensive tiger operations.
According to the report, the parties specifically urged Thailand and Vietnam to “identify any specimens of tigers referable to the mainland Southeast Asian lineage (also known as Panthera tigris corbetti) and encourage facilities to engage in coordinated conservation breeding for these animals and other appropriate actions.”
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