[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1782-1783]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-812]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) 
Notification; Clarification of Prohibitions Based on Recommendations 
From CITES Secretariat on Prohibitions of Trade in Certain Animal 
Species From Certain Countries

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to clarify the import 
restrictions that were announced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(Service) in Notice of 

[[Page 1783]]
Information (NOI) No. 23, published in the Federal Register on December 
7, 1994 (59 FR 63101), and NOI No. 24, published in the Federal 
Register on May 19, 1995 (60 FR 26897), by establishing an exception to 
the prohibitions described in these notices. These Notices were issued 
pursuant to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species 
(CITES) Notification to the Parties No. 800, issued on April 21, 1994, 
and No. 833, issued on January 20, 1995, respectively. This notice 
establishes that, until further notice, shipments of specimens of a 
species of wildlife from countries that are subject to the prohibitions 
announced in Notices of Information No. 23 and No. 24 and CITES 
Notifications No. 800 and No. 833 for that species, may be imported 
into the United States from an intermediary country (country of re-
export) only if: such shipments are accompanied by acceptable CITES 
documents proving that the wildlife specimens involved were imported 
into that re-exporting country prior to the date of issuance of the 
earliest CITES Notification (No. 800 or No. 833) that applied to that 
specimen.

DATES: This notice is effective on January 23, 1996. This notice will 
be effective until further notice.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Susan Lieberman, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office 
of Management Authority, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 420C, Arlington, 
VA 22203, regarding Notifications to the Parties, or Thomas Striegler, 
Special Agent in Charge, Investigations, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Division of Law Enforcement, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 500, 
Arlington, VA 22203.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Susan S. Lieberman, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Office of Management Authority, telephone (703)358-
2093, regarding Notification to the Parties, or Thomas Striegler, 
Special Agent in Charge, Investigations, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Division of Law Enforcement, telephone (703)358-1949, for 
enforcement actions.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Since the publication by the Service of NOI 
23 and NOI 24, concern has been expressed by some of the CITES Party 
countries (especially those that re-export finished products containing 
wildlife) that existing stockpiles of specimens of species that were in 
fact imported into these Party countries prior to the issuance of CITES 
Notification numbers 800 and 833 are still subject to the prohibitions 
established in NOI 23 and NOI 24. The Service agrees that such 
specimens should not be subject to the prohibitions established in NOI 
23 and NOI 24. Therefore, the Service will allow the import of 
shipments of such re-exported specimens into the United States only in 
the circumstance that these shipments are accompanied by a copy of an 
original CITES permit that proves that these specimens were imported 
into the country of re-export prior to the issuance of the earliest 
CITES Notification (No. 800 or No. 833) that applied to the specimen. 
Shipments of specimens of species that are subject to NOI 23 must be 
accompanied by a copy of an original CITES permit that proves that such 
specimens were imported into the country of re-export prior to April 
21, 1994. Shipments of specimens of species that are subject to NOI 24, 
that were not subject to NOI 23, must be accompanied by a copy of an 
original CITES permit that proves that such specimens were imported 
into the country of re-export prior to January 20, 1995. This 
acceptable documentation must be in the form of a copy of the actual 
export permit or re-export certificate issued by the country of export 
or re-export that documents the legal shipment of the specimens in 
question into the country that wishes to ship the same specimens to the 
United States, and a document that shows that actual import took place 
prior to April 21, 1994, or January 20, 1995, whichever date applies.

    Dated: December 21, 1995.
George T. Frampton, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 96-812 Filed 1-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P