CITES Amendments Approved at COP 13

A report on activities at the recent 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 13) held in October, 2004, in Thailand can be found at http://www.cites.ca. On the left sidebar menu, select Conference of the Parties and then CoP13.

All changes to CITES Appendices come into effect at an international level on January 12, 2005 but in Canada, new regulations will only be amended about April, 2005. Check the CITES website monthly for the most up-to-date information.

Of the many proposals regarding endangered species, four affecting trade in orchids were accepted. There are two down-listings of species from Appendix I to Appendix II. Additionally, a number of hybrids and intergeneric orchid hybrids will be exempted from CITES documentation but only if particular requirements are met. Genera affected by the new guidelines include interspecific and intergeneric hybrids of Cymbidium, Dendrobium (nobile and phalenopsis types only), Phalaenopsis, and Vanda. A complete guide to regulations (with illustrations) for CITES exemption is found at: http://www.cites.org/common/cop/13/E13-P41Annex.pdf

New CITES amendments

  1. Cattleya trianaei has been transferred from Appendix I to Appendix II.
  2. Vanda coerulea has been transferred from Appendix I to Appendix II.
  3. Certain artificially propagated interspecific and intergeneric orchid hybrids are exempted from CITES control.Artificially propagated specimens are not subject to the provisions of the Convention when:
    1. they are traded in flowering state, i.e. with at least one open flower per specimen, with reflexed petals;
    2. they are professionally processed for commercial
    3. retail sale, e.g. labelled with printed labels and packaged with printed packages;
    4. they can be readily recognized as artificially propagated specimens by exhibiting a high degree of cleanliness, undamaged inflorescences, intact root systems and a general absence of damage or injury that could be attributable to plants originating in the wild;
    5. the plants do not exhibit characteristics of wild origin, such as damage by insects or other animals, fungi or algae adhering to leaves, or mechanical damage to inflorescences, roots, leaves or other parts resulting from collection; and
    6. the labels or packages indicate the trade name of the specimen, the country of artificial propagation or, in the case of international trade during the production process, the country where the specimen was labelled and packaged; and the labels or packages show a photograph of the flower, or demonstrate by other means the appropriate use of labels and packages in an easily verifiable way.
  4. Artificially propagated specimens of Orchidaceae hybrids of the genera Cymbidium, Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis and Vanda, are not subject to the provisions of the Convention when:
    1. the specimens are traded in shipments consisting of individual containers (i.e. cartons, boxes, or crates) each containing 20 or more plants of the same hybrid;
    2. the plants within each container that can be readily recognized as artificially propagated specimens, exhibiting a high degree of uniformity and healthiness; and
    3. the shipments are accompanied by documentation, such as an invoice, which clearly states the number of plants of each hybrid.

Marilyn H. S. Light

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