CITES Conference Votes to Tightly
Regulate International Trade in Mahogany

(SANTIAGO, CHILE) -- The member nations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) today voted to strictly regulate international trade in bigleaf mahogany, a tropical hardwood that has been decimated by illegal logging.

The United States, the world's largest importer of mahogany, supported the listing of the species in Appendix II of the 160-nation convention after an extensive dialogue with range nations.

"We cannot take the risk that 50 years from now the only place anyone will see mahogany is in an old desk or chair," said Assistant Secretary of Interior Craig Manson, one of two leaders of the U.S. delegation to CITES' 12th Conference of Parties in Santiago.

"The Appendix II designation will ensure that mahogany will be harvested in a sustainable manner and help range states, especially Central America countries, better manage their forests."

A species is listed in Appendix II when member nations determine international trade may be detrimental to its survival without strict regulation. Any shipment of mahogany must be accompanied by an export permit affirming that it is was legally harvested in a way that is not detrimental to the survival of the species.

The proposal to list mahogany, which required a two-thirds majority, passed by two votes, 68-30. It will go into effect in early 2004.

"I would like to thank the U.S. delegation for supporting the proposal," said Dr. Susan Lieberman, director of the species program for WWF International. "This is a major decision that will help ensure sustainable utilization of this species and assure consumers that the mahogany furniture they buy has been harvested legally and sustainably."

"The U.S. delegation employed a sound strategy of conferring with the range states and other parties before taking a position and it paid off -- we ended up with the right result," said former Assistant Secretary of StateCurtis "Buff" Bohlen, who helped negotiate the CITES treaty in the early 1970s and led the U.S. delegation at the first Conference of the Parties in 1976.

Bigleaf mahogany is a tropical hardwood that takes 60 years to mature and can reach a height of 500 feet. Before today's vote, it was listed in Appendix III by several range counties including Costa Rica, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Colombia. This meant that it could be traded commercially, but the countries that listed the species were required to issue permits and ensure that specimens were legally acquired. Importing countries were required to ensure that all shipments are accompanied with the proper documentation.

Guatemala and Nicaragua submitted the proposal to list bigleaf mahogany in Appendix II. Today's vote must be formalized at a plenary session tomorrow.

"As the major importer of bigleaf mahogany, the United States is committed to making this listing work," said Assistant Secretary of State John Turner, the other leader of the U.S. delegation. "We will work with all the mahogany range states to ensure that shipments are both legal and sustainably harvested."

CITES is an international agreement signed by 160 nations that is designed to control and regulate global trade in certain wild animals and plants that are or may become threatened with extinction due to commercial trade. A CITES-regulated species may be included in one of three appendices to the Convention:

-- Appendix I includes species for which it is determined that any
commercial trade is detrimental to the survival of the species. Therefore,
no commercial trade is allowed in Appendix-I species. Non-commercial trade
in such species may be allowed if it does not jeopardize the species'
survival in the wild. Permits are required for the exportation and
importation of Appendix-I species.

-- Appendix II includes species for which it has been determined that
trade may be detrimental to the survival of the species if that trade is not
strictly controlled. Trade in these species is regulated through the use of
export permits.

-- Appendix III includes species listed by a range country that requires
the assistance of other parties to ensure that exports of their native
species are legal. Permits are used to control and monitor trade in native
species. Any CITES party may place a native species in Appendix III.

Any listing of a species in either Appendix I or II requires approval by two-thirds of the CITES parties that vote on the proposal.

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