This chapter examines direct exports of species native to the Region from other countries over the five-year period 2008-2012, with a focus on captive-bred and artificially propagated trade. The analysis considers all species exported from other countries, regardless of whether they are native to those countries. Sustainable use of such species that are potentially under-utilised in the Region has the potential to provide economic benefits to the Region and may in turn have a positive impact on the species concerned in terms of creating incentives for sustainable management.

According to exporter-reported data recorded within the CITES Trade Database, 725 of the 1884 CITES-listed species of plant and animal recorded as occurring in the Region^[1] were reported in trade over the period 2008-2012. Of these, 194 species were recorded as direct exports from the Region, of which 52 species were exported only by these countries. A total of 673 species native to the Region were recorded as direct exports by other countries, of which 531 species were exported only by other countries.

The following sections focus on trade in live specimens, as the top commodity in trade.

A total of eight Appendix I-listed species native to the Region were reported as direct exports by countries outside the Region (hereafter referred to as the “rest of the world”) at levels greater than 100 captive-produced/artificially propagated live specimens during the period 2008–2012; of these, seven were not reported in trade by the Region during this period (Table 5.1). In addition, high levels of trade in Crocodylus acutus and C. moreletii skins were reported by Colombia (2169 skins) and Mexico (1189 skins), respectively; both species are native to the respective countries of export. Peru, Ecuador and the United States also reported notable quantities of exports involving species native to the Region (Table 5.2).

Table 5.1. Appendix I-listed species directly exported by the rest of world at levels above 100 captive-produced*, live individuals (reported without units), according to exporter-reported data, 2008-2012.

Table 5.2. Exporter-reported direct exports of the species included in Table 5.1 traded as captive-produced*, live individuals (reported without units) from the rest of the world, by main exporters** and terms, 2008-2012 (trade in all species was primarily for commercial purposes).

Twelve Appendix II and III-listed species native to the Region were directly exported by the rest of the world as captive-produced, live individuals at levels greater than 10,000 units during the period 2008-2012.  Nine of these taxa were not reported in trade by the Region during this period (Table 5.3). Opuntia ficus-indica was the most highly traded of these taxa from the rest of the world (1,026,264 live plants); Tunisia was the main exporter, reporting the direct export of 1,017,500 live plants for commercial purposes (Table 5.4). Other major commercial exporters of species native to the Region included China (220,200 live Opuntia stricta), Sri Lanka (66,010 live Hippocampus reidi) and Indonesia (56,119 live Pocillopora verrucosa).

Table 5.3. Appendix II- and III-listed species directly exported by the rest of the world at levels above 10,000 captive-produced*, live individuals (reported without units), according to exporter-reported data, 2008-2012.

Table 5.4. Exporter-reported direct exports of the species included in Table 5.3 traded as captive-produced*, live individuals (reported without units) from the rest of the world, by main exporters**, 2008-2012 (trade in all species was primarily for commercial purposes).

Conclusions

A total of 673 species native to the Region were recorded as direct exports by countries outside the Region over the period 2008-2012, of which 531 species were exported only by other countries. The Appendix I-listed species with the highest levels of captive-produced trade reported from countries outside the Region was Crocodylus acutus, with exports primarily comprising skins traded for commercial purposes from Colombia and Mexico; high volumes of trade in live Phragmipedium spp. primarily from Peru and Ecuador, and Falco peregrinus from several European countries, were also reported. Appendix II- and III-listed species with notable levels of captive-produced, commercial trade from outside the Region included live Opuntia species exported primarily from Tunisia and China, live Hippocampus reidi exported mainly from Sri Lanka, and live Pocillopora verrucosa exported primarily from Indonesia.