CITES Appendices I/II/III
Definition
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Appendix I: no commercial international trade (tiger, Indian rhino). Appendix II: trade regulated by permit. Appendix III: country-listed species needing co-operation. India is a Party since 1976.
- Appendix I
- No commercial international trade (e.g. tiger, Indian rhino)
- Appendix II
- Trade permitted with permit
- Appendix III
- Country-listed species requiring cooperation
- India's status
- CITES Party since 1976
Common questions
Why would a country list a species under Appendix III instead of asking for I or II?+
Appendix III lets a single range country flag a species it already protects domestically and ask other Parties to help monitor and control its export, without needing the consensus vote required to add a species to Appendix I or II.
Can a species move between appendices over time?+
Yes, species are reclassified at CITES Conference of the Parties meetings as population data changes; a species can be uplisted to Appendix I if trade pressure increases or downlisted to II if populations recover and controlled trade is judged sustainable.
How does forensic evidence factor into an Appendix I prosecution?+
Because Appendix I bans commercial trade outright, forensic species identification of seized material, such as bone, skin or derivative products, is often the evidence that establishes the offence, since no permit defence is available for a genuine Appendix I species.
Related terms
- CCMB LaCONES
- Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad. CSIR institute that handles DNA-based species...
- COI Barcoding
- DNA-based species identification using a standard 658 bp segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene. Sequences are matched against reference...
- Cyt-B Barcoding
- PCR amplification and sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene. The standard marker for species identification of mammals from skin, hair, bone or...
- NTCA
- National Tiger Conservation Authority. Statutory body under WLPA (2006 amendment) that administers Project Tiger and the network of 50-plus tiger reserves.
- Schedules I to VI (Pre-2022) / I to IV (Post-2022)
- Lists appended to the WLPA that classify species by level of protection. Schedule I species (tiger, rhino, pangolin, snow leopard) receive absolute...
- WCCB
- Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. Statutory multi-disciplinary body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), created by the 2006 amendment...
- WII Dehradun
- Wildlife Institute of India. Autonomous MoEFCC institution. Houses the Wildlife Forensic and Conservation Genetics Cell, the country's central wildlife forensic facility. Maintains...
- Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 (WLPA)
- Central Indian statute that regulates protection of wild animals, birds and plants. Provides for Schedules of species, sanctuaries, national parks, the WCCB...