[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 57 (Friday, March 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20489-20492]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06064]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2024-0033; FXIA16710900000-245-FF09A10000]


Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild 
Fauna and Flora, Conference of the Parties, Twentieth Regular Meeting; 
Request for Information and Recommendations on Species Proposals, 
Resolutions, Decisions, and Agenda Items for Consideration

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

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ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: To implement the Convention on International Trade in 
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES or the Convention), 
the Parties to the Convention meet periodically to review what species 
in international trade should be regulated as well as other aspects of 
CITES implementation. The twentieth regular meeting of the Conference 
of the Parties (CoP20) is tentatively scheduled to be held in the 
second half of 2025. The specific date and location of CoP20 are yet to 
be determined. With this notice, we are soliciting recommendations to 
amend Appendices I and II of CITES at CoP20 as well as recommendations 
for resolutions, decisions, and agenda items for discussion at CoP20. 
We invite you to provide us with information and recommendations on 
animal and plant species for which the United States should consider 
submitting proposals to amend Appendices I and II. Such proposals may 
concern the addition of species to Appendix I or Appendix II, the 
transfer of species from one Appendix to another, or the removal of 
species from the Appendices. We also invite you to provide us with 
information and recommendations on resolutions, decisions, and agenda 
items that the United States might consider submitting for discussion 
at CoP20. Finally, with this notice, we also describe the United 
States' approach to preparations for CoP20.

DATES: We will consider all information and comments that we receive on 
or before May 21, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
    (1) Electronically: Using the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov, search for FWS-HQ-IA-2024-0033, which is the 
docket number for this notice.
    (2) U.S. mail: Mail comments to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: 
FWS-HQ-IA-2024-0033; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), 
5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
    We will not accept email or faxes. Comments and materials we 
receive, as well as supporting documentation, will be available for 
public inspection on http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information pertaining to species 
proposals, contact Rosemarie Gnam, Head, Division of Scientific 
Authority, 703-358-1708 (phone); 703-358-2276 (fax); or 
[email protected] (email). For information pertaining to 
resolutions, decisions, and agenda items, contact Naimah Aziz, Head, 
Division of Management Authority, at 703-358-2493 (phone); or 
[email protected] (email). Individuals in the United States 
who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability 
may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications 
relay services. Individuals outside the United States should use the 
relay services offered within their country to make international calls 
to the point of contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The Convention is an international treaty aimed at ensuring that 
international trade in animal and plant species does not threaten their 
survival. Species are included in the Appendices to CITES and can be 
found on the CITES Secretariat's website at https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php.
    Currently there are 184 Parties to CITES: 183 countries, including 
the United States, and the European Union--a regional economic 
integration organization. The Convention calls for regular meetings of 
the Conference of the Parties (CoP). The CoP has decided that these 
meetings should be held every 2-3 years. At the CoP meetings, the 
Parties review the implementation of CITES, make decisions regarding 
the financing and function of the CITES Secretariat located in 
Switzerland, consider amendments to Appendices I and II, consider 
reports presented by the Secretariat, and adopt recommendations for the 
improved effectiveness of CITES. Any Party to CITES may propose 
amendments to Appendices I and II, resolutions, decisions, and agenda 
items for consideration by all the Parties at the meeting.
    This is our first in a series of Federal Register notices that, 
together with at least one public meeting (time and location to be 
announced), provide you with an opportunity to provide input into the 
development of the United States' submissions to and negotiating 
positions for CoP20. In our second CoP20 Federal Register notice, we 
will announce tentative species proposals and documents related to 
resolutions, decisions, and agenda items that the United States is 
considering submitting for CoP20 and will solicit further information 
and comments on them. Our regulations guiding this public process can 
be found in title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 23.87.

Announcement of the Twentieth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties

    We hereby notify all interested entities of the convening of CoP20, 
which is tentatively scheduled to be held in the second half of 2025 at 
a location to be determined. The CITES Secretariat is currently seeking 
expressions of interest from Parties to host CoP20.

United States Approach for CoP20

What are the priorities for United States submissions to CoP20?

    Priorities for United States submissions to CoP20 continue to be 
consistent with the overall objective of United States participation in 
CITES: To maximize the effectiveness of the Convention in the 
conservation and sustainable use of species subject to international 
trade. With that in mind, we consider the following factors in 
determining what issues to submit for inclusion in the agenda at CoP20:
    (1) Does the proposed action address a serious wildlife or plant 
trade issue that the United States is experiencing as a range country 
for the species in trade or as a major trader for the species? Since 
the primary responsibility of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the 
conservation of our domestic wildlife resources, we will give native 
species the highest priority. We will place particular emphasis on 
terrestrial and freshwater species with the majority of their range in 
the United States and its territories that are or may be traded in 
significant numbers; marine species that occur in United States waters 
or for which the United States is a major trader; and threatened and 
endangered species for which we and other Federal and State agencies 
already have statutory responsibility for protection and recovery. We 
also consider CITES listings as a proactive measure to monitor and 
manage trade in native species to preclude the need for the application 
of stricter measures, such as listing under the Endangered Species Act 
of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), or inclusion in CITES 
Appendix I.
    (2) Does the proposed action address a serious wildlife or plant 
trade issue for species not native to the United States? As a major 
importer of wildlife, plants, and their products, the United States has 
taken responsibility, by working in close consultation with range 
countries, for addressing cases of potential over-exploitation of 
foreign species in the wild. In some cases, the United States may not 
be a range country or a significant trading country for a species, but 
we will work closely with other

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countries to conserve species being threatened by unsustainable 
exploitation for international trade. We will consider CITES listings 
for species not native to the United States if these listings will 
assist in addressing cases of known or potential over-exploitation of 
foreign species in the wild, and in preventing illegal, unregulated 
trade, especially if the United States is a major importer. These 
species will be prioritized based on the extent of trade and status of 
a species and also the role the species plays in the ecosystem, with 
emphasis on those species for which CITES inclusion would provide the 
greatest conservation benefits to the species, associated species, and 
their habitats.
    (3) Does the proposed action provide additional conservation 
benefit for a species already covered by another international 
agreement? The United States will consider the inclusion of such a 
species in the CITES Appendices when such inclusion would enhance the 
conservation of the species by ensuring that international trade is 
effectively regulated and not detrimental to the survival of the 
species.

Request for Information and Recommendations for Amending Appendices I 
or II

    Through this notice, we solicit information and recommendations 
that will help us identify species that the United States could propose 
for addition to, removal from, or reclassification in the CITES 
Appendices, or to identify issues warranting attention by the CITES 
specialists on zoological and botanical nomenclature. This request is 
not limited to species occurring in the United States. We encourage the 
submission of information on any species for possible inclusion in, 
transfer between, or removal from the Appendices, including if those 
species are subject to international trade that is, or may become, 
detrimental to the survival of the species. We also encourage you to 
keep in mind the approach to CoP20, described above in this notice, 
when considering what proposals the United States should submit to 
amend the Appendices.
    We ask that you submit robust information describing: (1) The 
status of the species, especially trend information; (2) conservation 
and management programs for the species, including the effectiveness of 
implementation and enforcement efforts; and (3) the level of 
international as well as domestic trade in the species, especially 
trend information. Please also provide any other relevant information, 
including a list of references. Although not required, we appreciate 
receiving complete proposals.
    The term ``species'' is defined under CITES as ``any species, 
subspecies, or geographically separate population thereof.'' Each 
species for which trade is controlled under CITES is included in one of 
three Appendices, either as a separate listing or incorporated within a 
higher taxonomic listing. The basic standards for inclusion of species 
in the Appendices are contained in Article II of CITES (text of the 
Convention is on the CITES Secretariat's website at https://cites.org/eng/disc/text.php). Appendix I includes species threatened with 
extinction that are or may be affected by trade. Appendix II includes 
species that, although not necessarily now threatened with extinction, 
may become so unless trade in them is strictly controlled. Appendix II 
also includes species that must be subject to regulation in order that 
trade in other CITES-listed species may be brought under effective 
control. Inclusion of such ``look alike'' species is usually necessary 
because of the difficulty inspectors have at ports of entry or exit in 
distinguishing one species from other species. Because Appendix III 
includes species that have been included in the Appendix unilaterally 
by a Party, we are not seeking input on possible United States 
Appendix-III listings with this notice, and we will not consider or 
respond to comments received concerning Appendix-III listings.
    CITES regulates international trade in whole animals and plants 
(whether alive or dead) as well as in any readily recognizable parts or 
derivatives of animals included in Appendices I or II, and plants 
included in Appendix I. With certain exclusions formally approved by 
the Parties through the adoption of annotations, the same applies to 
the readily recognizable parts and derivatives of plant species 
included in Appendix II. In summary, when a species is included in 
Appendix I or II, the whole, live or dead, animal or plant is always 
included. In addition, all parts and derivatives thereof are also 
included in the same Appendix unless, for plant species included in 
Appendix II, the species is annotated to indicate that only specific 
parts and derivatives are included. Parts and derivatives often not 
included (i.e., not regulated) for Appendix-II plants include: seeds, 
spores, pollen (including pollinia), leaves, and fruit. Please refer to 
the CITES Appendices on the Secretariat's website at https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php for information on further exceptions and 
limitations.
    In 1994, the CITES Parties adopted criteria for inclusion of 
species in Appendices I and II (in Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP17); 
see https://cites.org/sites/default/files/documents/COP/19/resolution/E-Res-09-24-R17.pdf. These criteria apply to all proposals to amend the 
CITES Appendices I and II and are available from the CITES 
Secretariat's website at http://www.cites.org/eng/res/index.php or upon 
request from the Division of Scientific Authority (contact information 
provided above in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Resolution Conf. 
9.24 (Rev. CoP17) also provides a format for proposals to amend the 
Appendices. This information is available upon request from the 
Division of Scientific Authority (contact information provided above in 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

What information should be submitted for proposals to amend Appendices 
I and II?

    In any recommendations you submit for possible proposals to amend 
Appendices I and II, please include as much of the following 
information about the species as possible in your submission:
    (1) Scientific name and common name;
    (2) Population size estimates (including references if available);
    (3) Population trend information;
    (4) Threats to the species (other than trade);
    (5) The level or trend of international trade (be as specific as 
possible, but without a request for new searches of our records);
    (6) The level or trend in total take from the wild (as specific as 
reasonable); and
    (7) A short summary statement clearly presenting the rationale for 
inclusion in, or removal or transfer from, one of the Appendices, 
including which of the criteria in Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP17) 
are met.
    If you wish to submit more complete proposals for us to consider, 
please consult Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP17) for the format for 
proposals and a detailed explanation of each of the categories. 
Proposals to transfer a species from Appendix I to Appendix II, or to 
remove a species from the Appendices, must also be in accordance with 
the precautionary measures described in Annex 4 to Resolution Conf. 
9.24 (Rev. CoP17).

What will we do with information we receive?

    The information that you submit will help us decide if we should 
submit, or co-sponsor with one or more other

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Parties, a proposal to amend the CITES Appendices. However, there may 
be species that qualify for inclusion in CITES Appendices I or II for 
which we decide not to submit a proposal to CoP20. Our decision will be 
based on several factors, including the priorities we outlined above in 
the United States' approach to CoP20. We will consult range countries 
for foreign species, and for species whose range the United States 
shares with one or more other countries.
    One important function of the CITES Scientific Authority of each 
Party country is monitoring international trade in plant and animal 
species, and ongoing scientific assessments of the impact of such trade 
on species. For United States native species included in Appendices I 
and II, we monitor trade through export permits issued so that we can 
prevent over-utilization and restrict exports if necessary. We work 
closely with States and Native American Tribes to ensure that species 
are appropriately listed in the CITES Appendices. For these reasons, we 
actively seek information about United States and foreign species 
subject to international trade.

Request for Information and Recommendations on Resolutions, Decisions, 
and Agenda Items

    Although we have not yet received formal notice of the provisional 
agenda for CoP20, we invite your input on possible agenda items that 
the United States could recommend for inclusion on the agenda, and on 
possible resolutions and decisions of the CoP that the United States 
could submit for consideration. Copies of the agenda and the results of 
the last meeting of the CoP (CoP19), as well as copies of all currently 
valid Resolutions and Decisions of past CoPs, are available on the 
CITES Secretariat's website (http://www.cites.org/) or from the 
Division of Management Authority (contact information provided above in 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

Future Actions

    As stated above, CoP20 is tentatively scheduled to be held in the 
second half of 2025, with a location to be determined. The United 
States must submit all proposals to amend Appendix I or II, and draft 
resolutions, decisions, or agenda items for discussion at CoP20, to the 
CITES Secretariat 150 days prior to the start of the meeting. To meet 
this deadline and to prepare for CoP20, we plan to keep the public 
informed about the CoP through a series of additional Federal Register 
notices and website postings in advance of CoP20. We will announce the 
tentative species proposals and proposed resolutions, decisions, and 
agenda items that the United States is considering submitting to CoP20 
and solicit further information and comments on them. We will post on 
our website an announcement of the species proposals, draft 
resolutions, draft decisions, and agenda items submitted by the United 
States to the CITES Secretariat for consideration at CoP20. Finally, we 
will inform you about preliminary negotiating positions on resolutions, 
decisions, and amendments to the Appendices proposed by other Parties 
for consideration at CoP20, and about how to obtain observer status. We 
will also publish an announcement of a public meeting tentatively to be 
held approximately 2-3 months prior to CoP20, which will provide an 
opportunity to receive public input on our positions regarding CoP20 
issues. The procedures for developing United States' documents and 
negotiating positions for a meeting of the Conference of the Parties to 
CITES are outlined in 50 CFR 23.87. As noted, we may modify or suspend 
the procedures outlined there if they would interfere with the timely 
or appropriate development of documents for submission to the CoP and 
U.S. negotiating positions.

Public Availability of Comments

    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, please be aware 
that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available. If you submit a hardcopy 
comment that includes personal identifying information, you may request 
at the top of your document that we withhold this information from 
public review; however, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do 
so.

Author

    The primary authors of this notice are Thomas Leuteritz, Division 
of Scientific Authority, and Mark Hofberg, Division of Management 
Authority, United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Authority

    The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Martha Williams,
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-06064 Filed 3-21-24; 8:45 am]
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