Introduction to CoP17 Prop. 8 - CoP17 Prop. 12
There are eight species of pangolins, all in the genus Manis, following CITES standard nomenclature. Four are
while four others are native to sub-Saharan Africa. All pangolins are
purposes being subject to zero

distributed in South, East and Southeast Asia,

listed in Appendix II, with wild-caught Asian pangolins traded for primarily commercialquotas. The five proposals CoP17 Prop. 8 - CoP17 Prop. 12 seek to transfer all pangolin species to Appendix

High demand in Asia has clearly led to significant declines in populations of pangolins, in particular M. pentadactyla andotherManis species, both in Asia and in Africa, to increase. Detailed population dataspecies meet the biological criteria forjavanica and an increase in demand forsome species are scarce, resulting in insufficient information to determine if thesein Appendix I. However, there are indications that populations have shown significant declines, with high levels of illegal

recorded, and continual, and in many cases increasingly heavy demand and harvesting. While comparatively little trade

Asian or African pangolins has beenreported to CITES since 2000, large volumes of illicit trade have taken place, involving
the large shipments being seized in East

minimum estimate of some 17,000 pangolins globally each year. In addition tooriginating from Southeast Asia, there are increasingly frequent large shipments of scales being seized coming from

It is important to note that all pangolins in trade are wild sourced: there are no reliable reports of commercial
species’ breeding biology and the extreme difficulties in keeping them alive in(producing only one or two offspring

Pangolins are vulnerable to overexploitation owing to their low reproductive rates

Concern over sustainability of trade reported to CITES, particularly in skins, led to the inclusion of Asian pangolins in(RST) process in 1988, 1992 and 1999, with recommended actions being madeM. gigantea and M. temminckii

which is extremely difficult owing to thephases of the Review of Significant Tradevarious range States to control trade. The African species M. tetradactyla, M. tricuspis,

also included in Phase IV of the RST in 1999 but were subsequently eliminated from the process. M. gigantea and M.

were again selected for the RST as species of priority concern in
Despite going through the RST processes multiple times, and having the zero quota with Appendix II, illegal trade seems tocontinued unabated for the Asian species.
harvest and trade of these species and an Appendix I would be a precautionary
So far these processes have failed to provide any notable protection frommeasure proportionate to the anticipated risks

theInclusion of all Manis species in CITES Appendix I could greatly enhance efforts to safeguard pangolins and supportby placing an overall higher degree of international protection. However, this cancontrol mechanisms by non-range States,happen if national legislation provides for higher fines and punitive measures forillegal trade in Appendix I-listed

TRAFFIC Recommendations on the Proposals to amend the CITES appendices at CoP17

CoP17 Prop. 8 [Bangladesh] and CoP17 Prop 9 [India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and United States of America] Transfer of Indian Pangolin Maniscrassicaudatafrom Appendix II to Appendix I
The Indian Pangolin Manis crassicaudata was classified as globally Endangered by the IUCN in 2014, owing to the immense threat that trade posesacross its range in five Indian subcontinent countries, although it may be extinct in Bangladesh owing to illegal hunting for trade. Since 2000, seizure
data indicate that illicit international trade in at least 8000 M. crassicaudata took place, while it is likely to become more heavily targeted as otherspecies decline: close to 600 000 Asian pangolins were in international trade from 1977 to 2012.
There are few data on the population status of this species, though it is believed to have been extirpated from some of its range in Bangladesh andpopulations appear to have declined markedly due to poaching in parts of Pakistan. Very little is known on the population in India which is themajority of the species’ range, although it is believed to have been reduced. This is despite national legislation protection from hunting and trade in all
range States. International demand for pangolins is believed to be increasing and, despite the lack of detailed information, the level of extractive
pressure this species is experiencing is such that a listing is likely to be in the best interest of the conservation of the species.

ACCEPT

TRAFFIC Recommendations on the Proposals to amend the CITES appendices at CoP17