During Its 27th meeting of the Plants Committee, CITES issued guidelines for its members involved in the sustainable harvest and trade of rosewood specimens
- The Report on the conservation and trade of CITES-listed rosewood tree species [Leguminosae (Fabaceae)] was published by CITES
- The report included locations of existing rosewood NDFs to aid range states in effective data collection and management plans.
- CITES recognised Rosewood Species: CITES regulates trade in rosewood species, including those in the genera Dalbergia, Afzelia, Khaya, and Pterocarpus. They are listed in Appendix II, indicating they are not immediately threatened with extinction but could be at risk if their trade is not regulated.
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Key Highlights of the Meeting
- Most Threatened Rosewood Species: Pterocarpus erinaceus (African rosewood), native to West Africa, is regarded as among the most threatened rosewood species due to rampant over-exploitation and illegal trade.
- Trade Suspension: CITES in a press release, noted that the Range States of African Rosewood are undergoing trade suspension recommendations due to concerns about the sustainability and legality of the trade.
- Capacity Building Efforts: The CITES secretariat was instructed to focus on capacity-building efforts for CITES-listed rosewood species, targeting 13 high-priority and 14 medium-priority species identified
- Module on Non-Detriment Findings (NDF): Connections need to be strengthened with the Module on Non-Detriment Findings (NDF) for tree species under the CITES-NDF Guidance.
- Evidence-based NDFs are a fundamental element of CITES. They allow the sustainable trade in species, support livelihoods in their countries of origin and industries in production and destination countries, and protect them from future extinction.
- Identifies various Rosewood Species: The Report identifies the country of origin and species vulnerability according to the IUCN and conservation priority and also outlines the species’ characteristics, their ecological roles, regeneration rates, and global trade levels, both legal and illegal.
- Assessment to Determine NDFs: The detailed species information is vital for CITES Scientific Authorities to prepare informed NDFs and assess the volume of timber of CITES-listed Rosewood species to determine export quotas while ensuring their long-term survival in the wild
About Rosewood
- Family: Rosewood is a commercial/trade term for timber from a range of tropical hardwoods in the Leguminosae (Fabaceae) family.
- Distribution: Rosewood is a hardwood native to Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Africa, and Indonesia.
Indian Rosewood:
- Dalbergia latifolia (East Indian rosewood, reddish-brown rosewood): Also called beetle and sisal, it is a premier timber species native to low-elevation tropical monsoon forests of southeast India.
- Dalbergia sissoo (North Indian rosewood or Shisham): This fast-growing, hardy, deciduous crooked rosewood tree is native to the foothills of the Himalayas, ranging from Afghanistan in the west to Bihar, India, in the east. It has long, leathery leaves and whitish or pink flowers.
- The tree can grow up to a height of 15-25 meters and has a dense, spreading crown.
- Rosewood is a deep, ruddy brown to purplish-brown colour, richly streaked and grained with black resinous layers.
- Usage: They are harvested and traded primarily for the manufacture of traditional furniture in Asia but other uses of the wood include turnery, panelling, guitar-making, and knife handles.
- Overexploitation: The overexploitation of rosewood tree species in Asia has led to a shift in the trade to species with similar characteristics from countries in Latin America and Africa.
- Protection Status: CITES APPENDIX II, Many of these species are now listed in CITES Appendix II due to concerns about the impact of trade on their survival
- The most recent listings include all Dalbergia species at CoP17 in 2017 and all African populations of Afzelia, Khaya and Pterocarpus species at CoP19 in 2022.
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CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)
- It is an international agreement between governments that aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the species’ survival.
- Adoption: CITES was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of IUCN members, and it entered into force on 1 July 1975.
- Membership: 184 Parties including India
- Legally Binding: CITES is legally binding on the Parties but does not replace national laws. Each Party must adopt its own domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is implemented at the national level.
- Appendix: The species covered by CITES are listed in three Appendices according to the degree of protection they need
- Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.
- Appendix II: It includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction but for which trade must be controlled to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival.
- Appendix III: It contains species protected in at least one country that has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade.
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July 13, 2024