U.S. CITES Implementation Report

1 CITES Implementation Report (for the period 1 January 2013 to 30 June 2015) PREPARED BY: DIVISION OF MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR COMPLETED 23 SEPTEMBER 2015 1 CITES Implementation Report (for the period 1 January 2013 through 30 June 2015) Table of Contents Page INTRODUCTION 2 Report IN TABULAR FORM OF ACTIVE MEASURES TAKEN BY THE UNITED STATES DURING 2013- 2015 IN ITS Implementation OF CITES 3 A. General information 3 B. Legislative and regulatory measures 4 C.

2 Compliance and enforcement measures 6 D. Administrative measures 9 D1. Management Authority (MA) 9 D2. Scientific Authority (SA) 10 D3. Enforcement Authorities 12 D4. Communication, information management and exchange 13 D5. Permitting and registration procedures 16 D6. Capacity building 19 D7. Collaboration/co-operative initiatives 23 D8. Areas for future work 27 E. General feedback 29 ANNEX 1 HIGHLIGHTS OF LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY MEASURES TAKEN BY THE UNITED STATES WITH RESPECT TO SECTION B OF THIS Report 30 ANNEX 2 HIGHLIGHTS OF COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT MEASURES TAKEN BY THE UNITED STATES WITH RESPECT TO SECTION C OF THIS Report 36 ANNEX 3 HIGHLIGHTS OF ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES TAKEN BY THE UNITED STATES WITH RESPECT TO SECTION D OF THIS Report 45 D1 and D2.

3 Management Authority (MA) and Scientific Authority (SA) 45 D4. Communication, information management and exchange 51 D5. Permitting and registration procedures 52 D6. Capacity building 54 D7. Collaboration/co-operative initiatives 61 2 INTRODUCTION Article VIII of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ( CITES ) prescribes that each Party shall prepare periodic reports on its Implementation of CITES and shall transmit to the Secretariat, in addition to an annual Report , a biennial Report on legislative, regulatory, and administrative measures taken to enforce the provisions of CITES .

4 However, at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP 16; March 2013), Resolution Conf. was revised with respect to Parties submissions of CITES biennial reports. The resolution now recommends that these reports be submitted one year before each meeting of the Conference of the Parties. CoP17 is scheduled to begin on 24 September 2016. Therefore, the deadline for submission to the CITES Secretariat of the first Implementation Report is 24 September 2015. This Report covers the time period from 1 January 2013 (the date immediately following the time period covered in the 2011-2012 biennial Report ), through 30 June 2015.

5 Work is underway to revise the reporting format under Decision , but until the new format is adopted, Parties are requested to submit their reports in accordance with the Biennial Report Format adopted by the Parties at CoP13 (October 2004) and distributed by the Secretariat in CITES Notification to the Parties No. 2005/035. Therefore, the United States submits this 2013-2015 Report in accordance with that recommended format. The original regulations implementing CITES in the United States were issued on 22 February 1977. On 23 August 2007, the Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) published a final rule in the Federal Register substantially updating the CITES -implementing regulations.

6 These updates reflected measures adopted by the Parties at their regular meetings through CoP13. In 2008, USFWS published revisions to the regulations to include provisions related to international trade in sturgeon and paddlefish caviar adopted by the Parties at CoP14. In 2014, we published revisions that incorporated into the CITES -implementing regulations relevant provisions from Resolutions adopted by the Parties at CoP14 and CoP15. We are currently at work on revisions to incorporate relevant changes adopted at CoP16. CITES implementing regulations are found in Part 23 of Title 50 in the Code of Federal Regulations (50 CFR Part 23).

7 On the following pages, using the tabular Biennial Report Format, we Report on the major legislative, regulatory, and administrative measures for Implementation of the Convention taken during the reporting period (1 January 2013 30 June 30 2015). Attached to the tabular Report are three Annexes providing narrative highlights of some of these measures with respect to Sections B, C, and D of the tabular Report . 3 Report IN TABULAR FORM OF ACTIVE MEASURES TAKEN BY THE UNITED STATES 1 JANUARY 2013 THROUGH 30 JUNE 2015 IN ITS Implementation OF CITES A. General information Pa rt y United States of America Period covered in t his Report : 1 January 2 013 to 30 June 2015 Details of agency preparing this Report U.

8 S. Fish and W ildlife Service Division of M anagement Authority 5 2 7 5 Leesburg Pike, M S:IA Falls Church, V irginia 2 2 041 United States of America Tel: + 1 (703) 358 2095 Fax: + 1 (703) 358 2280 Email: managementaut hority@f w s. gov Web: w international Cont ributing agencies, organizations or individuals U. S. Fish and W ildlife Service Division of Scientific Authority 5 2 7 5 Leesburg Pike, M S:IA Falls Church, V irginia 2 2 0 4 1 United States of America Tel: + 1 (703) 358 1708 Fax: + 1 (703) 358 2276 Email: scientificaut horit y@fw s.

9 Gov Web: w international U. S. Fish and W ildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement 5 2 7 5 Leesburg Pike, M S:LE Falls Church, V irginia 2 2 0 4 1 United States of America Tel: + 1 (703) 358 1949 Fax: + 1 (703) 358 2271 Email: law enforcement @fw s. gov Web: 4 B. Legislative and regulatory measures 1 Has information on CITES -relevant legislation already been provided under t he CITES National Legislation Project ? If yes, ignore questions 2 , 3 and 4 . Yes (f ully) Yes (partly) No No inf ormation/ unknow n 2 If any CITES -relevant legislation has been planned, drafted or enacted, please provide the f ollow ing details: Title and date: Status: Brief description of cont ents: 3 Is enacted legislation available in one of the w orking languages of the Convention?

10 Ye s No No inf ormation 4 If yes, please attach a copy of the full legislative text or key legislative provisions that were gazetted. legislation attached provided previously not available, w ill send later 5 W hich of the follow ing issues are addressed by any stricter domestic measures adopted for CITES -listed species (in accordance w ith Article X IV of the Convention)? Tick all applicable The conditions f or: The complete prohibit ion of : Issue Ye s No No information Ye s No No inf ormation Tr a d e Taking Possession Transport Other (specify) Additional comments.