CITES database hits 25 million trade notifications
More than 25 million records of wildlife trade transactions have now been reported by parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in its trade database.
As the most comprehensive and authoritative database on international trade in wildlife, this tool enables CITES parties, of which Namibia is also a member, and the general public to access transactions of international trade in species of wild fauna and flora.
According to CITES, this milestone underscores the progress made in the past half century on trade reporting and data digitalisation.
Global effort
The CITES trade database, managed by the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), contains records dating back to 1975, when the Convention entered into force. These records have been contributed by the current 184 parties to the Convention, which include 183 countries and the European Union.
“Today, more than 1.5 million records of trade in CITES-listed wildlife species are reported annually, with each record providing details about one permitted shipment transaction (import, export or re-export) of live or dead CITES-listed animals and plants and their parts and derivatives.”
CITES secretary-general, Ivonne Higuero, said the CITES trade database allows for greater transparency and accessibility to trade data, helping them to discern emerging trends, monitor the sustainability of trade levels at the national, regional and global scales, and identify potential adverse effects on species survival.
“This dataset is a vital asset to parties and an integral part of the implementation of the Convention that reflects the scientific and data-driven nature of our work.”
Publicly accessible
With nearly 41 000 species listed under the CITES Appendices, national CITES management authorities are responsible for issuing permits and compiling annual reports on their international trade in CITES-listed species, which are reflected in the CITES trade database.
As the official source of data on international trade in CITES-listed species, the CITES database is accessible to the public online in an aggregated format and can be used for retrieving specified datasets according to selected variables and parameters for selected output and report types.
As the most comprehensive and authoritative database on international trade in wildlife, this tool enables CITES parties, of which Namibia is also a member, and the general public to access transactions of international trade in species of wild fauna and flora.
According to CITES, this milestone underscores the progress made in the past half century on trade reporting and data digitalisation.
Global effort
The CITES trade database, managed by the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), contains records dating back to 1975, when the Convention entered into force. These records have been contributed by the current 184 parties to the Convention, which include 183 countries and the European Union.
“Today, more than 1.5 million records of trade in CITES-listed wildlife species are reported annually, with each record providing details about one permitted shipment transaction (import, export or re-export) of live or dead CITES-listed animals and plants and their parts and derivatives.”
CITES secretary-general, Ivonne Higuero, said the CITES trade database allows for greater transparency and accessibility to trade data, helping them to discern emerging trends, monitor the sustainability of trade levels at the national, regional and global scales, and identify potential adverse effects on species survival.
“This dataset is a vital asset to parties and an integral part of the implementation of the Convention that reflects the scientific and data-driven nature of our work.”
Publicly accessible
With nearly 41 000 species listed under the CITES Appendices, national CITES management authorities are responsible for issuing permits and compiling annual reports on their international trade in CITES-listed species, which are reflected in the CITES trade database.
As the official source of data on international trade in CITES-listed species, the CITES database is accessible to the public online in an aggregated format and can be used for retrieving specified datasets according to selected variables and parameters for selected output and report types.
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