Highlights for Friday, 5 December 2008

CMS COP 9 concluded successfully today in Rome. Delegates reached agreement on a number of outstanding issues, including several proposed species listings on the Convention’s Appendices.

The proposal to list the saker falcon on Appendix I was withdrawn, but a resolution was adopted that sets out the direction for future work on this species, and states that unless there is improvement in its conservation status, the species will be listed on Appendix I at COP 10. The listing of the cheetah on Appendix I was accepted, with the understanding that the listing does not apply to populations in the three countries with a CITES quota for the species.

The longfin and shortfin mako sharks, as well as the porbeagle shark, were listed on Appendix II. Delegates decided to list only the northern hemisphere population of the spiny dogfish on Appendix II. For all four species, some countries had their concerns noted in the meeting’s report; Denmark, on behalf of the Faroe Islands, placed a formal reservation regarding the listing of the porbeagle shark.

Delegates adopted a core budget for the next triennium representing a 3.3% increase, which also provides for two new Secretariat posts. The resolution encourages states to provide extra voluntary funding. The meeting also decided that the Scientific Council will hold three meetings in the next triennium.

Some other resolutions that had proven contentious during the week, including on marine species, by-catch, ocean noise, climate change and the intersessional process on the future shape of CMS, were all adopted without major amendments.

COP 9 Chair Fernando Spina (Italy) closed the meeting at 5:45 pm.

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