A Loophole in Article VII of CITES: A Case Against Annex I Species Breeding

Abstract

The illegal wildlife trade requires further investigation as a major factor in biodiversity loss. In view of the scale and expansion of this phenomenon, it seems particularly pressing to consider the potential for optimizing the effectiveness of current regulations, and this year’s 50th anniversary of CITES is the ideal time to do so. A number of factors contribute to the reduced effectiveness of CITES, some of which—such as the lack of national political to enforce this regime—are not necessarily attributable to the Convention itself. On the contrary, other factors are directly linked to its provisions. This article investigates how the possibility offered by Article VII (4) and (5) of breeding certain Appendix I species for commercial purposes feeds the illegal wildlife trade. I argue that these breeding practices that fail to take into account certain economic and physiological realities of the animals they breed are not financially viable without recourse to illegal harvestings from the wild, and thereby (i) accentuate the current heavy pressures on wild populations and (ii) distort the authenticity of trade flows. Finally, I show that a large proportion of wild animal farming fails to meet consumer demand and, on the contrary, actually increases the consumption of wild animals.