[Coral-List] CITES permit exemptions for corals

Iliana Baums ibb3 at psu.edu
Tue Oct 28 14:47:21 EDT 2008


Dear colleagues,

CITES never ceases to surprise me. After long struggles we had obtained 
a CITES permit to export small coral samples for DNA analysis. After 
dropping off the permit with Fish and Wildlife in the US, they called 
the next day with a few questions. During the conversation the gentleman 
told me that in fact I did not need a CITES permit for my coral samples 
because they were so small. I asked for the reference for this and was 
told to go to the CITES webpage and indeed found the following 
(http://www.cites.org/common/com/AC/22/E22i-08.pdf):

?Overview of coral products in trade and relevant Resolutions / 
Decisions for implementation of CITES provisions in EU
Note: fossil corals exempted from CITES, but no common CITES 
interpretation on definition of “fossil corals”
.....
Corals: Helioporidae spp. (Blue corals), Tubiporidae spp. (Organpipe 
corals), ANTHIPATHARIA spp. (black corals), SCLERACTINIA (order) Stony 
corals?(hard corals), Milleporidae and Stylasteridae. Please note: NB – 
there is no exemption for fossils of black corals (Antipatharia) 
Resolution Conf. 11.10 on definitions

.....
Coral fragments: Coral fragments (including gravel and rubble) – 
unconsolidated fragments of broken finger-like dead coral and other 
material between 2 and 30 mm in diameter, which is not identifiable to 
the level of genus. Res: 9.6 (Rev CoP12): not readily recognisable so 
not covered by convention, Not covered by convention, No CITES export 
permit and no EU CITES import permit required.
.....

Now, does this mean I can quit chasing CITES permits? Anybody know who 
to ask?

-- 
Iliana B. Baums, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Biology
The Pennsylvania State University
208 Mueller Laboratory
University Park, PA, 16802

814.867.0491 (Office)
814.867.0492 (Lab)
814.321.3593 (Mob)
814.865.9131 (Fax)

http://www.bio.psu.edu/people/faculty/baums/




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