About CITES

For background to the establishment of CITES, outline of the convention, management authorities and other information, read the information below.

Background to the establishment of the convention

In 1972, at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm, the early convening of a conference for adopting a convention concerning the international trade of wild plants and animals was recommended in order to protect certain species of wild animals and plants being threatened with extinction.

In response, a Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Adoption of a Convention on International Trade in Certain Species of Wild Animals and Plants was held in Washington, D.C., in 1973, hosted by the United States. The conference brought together people from 81 countries including the Republic of South Africa and the Republic of Costa Rica, and in March 1973, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was adopted (the convention is also called the “Washington Act” as it was adopted at the conference held in Washington, D.C.). On April 2, 1975, it was determined that the convention met the requirements for coming into effect, and on July 1, 1975, the convention came into effect.

Japan attended the conference and signed the convention on April 30, 1975. Following coordination between stakeholders, the conclusion of the convention was approved by the 91st ordinary session of the Diet on April 25, 1980, and the convention came into effect in Japan on November 4, 1980.

• List of Parties to the Convention(CITES website)

Outline of the convention

Purpose and details

CITES is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
The species covered by CITES are listed in three Appendices: according to the degree of protection they need.

	Appendix Ⅰ	Appendix Ⅱ	Appendix Ⅲ
Listing criteria	Species that are threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.	Species that are not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival	Species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade.
Details of control	Trade for scientific research purposes is allowed. Import and export permissions from both destination and originating countries are required.	Trade for commercial purposes is allowed. Export permission issued by the government of an originating country is required.	Trade for commercial purposes is allowed. Export permission or a certificate of origin issued by the government of the originating country is required.
Example of controlled species	Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), Slow loris (Nycticebus spp.), Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus), Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), Costus root (Saussurea costus), False Gavial (Tomistoma schlegelii), Sea turtle (CHELONIIDAE spp.), etc.	Bear (URSIDAE spp.), Hawk (FALCONIFORMES spp.), Parrot (PSITTACIFORMES spp.), Lion (Panthera leo), Pirarucu (Arapaima gigas), Coral (ANTIPATHARIA spp., HELIOPORIDAE spp., SCLERACTINIA spp., TUBIPORIDAE spp.), Cactus (CACTACEAE spp.), Orchid (ORCHIDACEAE spp.), spurge (Euphorbia spp.), etc.	Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus (Canada)), Map Turtle (Graptemys spp. (United States of America)), Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica (India)), Coral (Corallium elatius, Corallium japonicum, Corallium konjoi, Corallium secundum (China), etc.

Controlled species

Under the Convention, the species of animals and plants listed in the Appendices are subject to regulation. This includes not only living specimens but also specimens including taxidermy and other preserved forms. Furthermore, parts and derivatives of these species, as well as processed products made from them—such as fur coats, leather goods made from reptiles, and ivory carvings—are also regulated.
However, naturally excreted substances such as faeces, urine, and vomit (e.g., Ambergris), and products made from them, are not subject to regulation under the Convention.

Reservation

Under the Convention, a Party may enter a reservation on specific species listed in the Appendices. For any species subject to a reservation, the Party is treated as a non-Party with respect to that species.
In the case of species listed in Appendix I, if a Party enters a reservation, the species is treated as if it were listed in Appendix II for that Party.
Japan has entered reservations on the following species.
For the importation of cetaceans listed in Appendix I, for which Japan has entered a reservation, importers are required to undergo either prior confirmation or customs confirmation procedures, depending on the case.

	Reservations entered by Japan
Appendix Ⅰ	Balaenoptera acutorostrata, Balaenoptera bonaerensis, Balaenoptera borealis (excluding the North Pacific population and populations within the area bounded by 0°E to 70°E and the equator to the Antarctic continent), Balaenoptera edeni, Balaenoptera omurai, Balaenoptera physalus, Orcaella brevirostris, Orcaella heinsohni, Physeter macrocephalus and all species of the genus Berardius
Appendix Ⅱ	Carcharhinus falciformis, Carcharhinus longimanus, Prionace glauca, Sphyrna lewini, Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna zygaena, all species of the genus Alopias, Cetorhinus maximus, Carcharodon carcharias, Isurus oxyrinchus, Isurus paucus, Lamna nasus, Rhincodon typus, all species of the genus Hippocampus and Holothuria fuscogilva

• Japan Reservations (CITES website)

Management and Scientific Authorities

Under the regulations of the convention, a party to the convention is required to designate Management Authorities competent to grant permits or certificates and Scientific Authorities that advise Management Authorities on the issuance of permissions from the perspective of protecting the species. Management and Scientific Authorities in Japan are as follows:

Management Authorities that issue import/export permissions and certificates

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry	Listed species, excluding those brought by ship (namely, common imports/exports)
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries	Listed species only brought by ship

Scientific Authorities that advise Management Authorities on imports/exports of listed species from the perspective of their survival

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries	Plants and major aquatic animals*	*Note: For details of responsibilities by CITES class, click here.（PDF：136KB）（in Japanese）
Ministry of the Environment	Land animals*

Division in Charge

Office of Trade Licensing for Wild Animal and Plants, Trade Licensing Division, Trade Control Department, Trade and Economic Security Bureau