ESABII Training of Trainers (ToT) on CITES POLICIES andIDENTIFICATION ofThreatened Species, March 15 – 18, 2016
VISTANA Kuala Lumpur Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
REPORT SUMMARYThe Training of Trainers (ToT) on CITES Policies and Identification of Threatened Species was heldfrom 15 till 18 March 2016 at the Vistana Kuala Lumpur Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The
four-day workshop was conducted under the framework of the East and Southeast Asia Biodiversity
Information Initiative (ESABII), and organized and generously funded by Ministry of the Environment,Japan (MOEJ). It was co-hosted by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) coordinated by OMC Inc.
which assigned by MOEJ as a seminar secretariat.
Representatives from the Biodiversity Center of Japan, MOEJ and lecturers from LIPI were present
at the opening ceremony.
Participants of this workshop were a total of 28 from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR,Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, three delegates were from Forest
Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM). The workshop’s objectives were to build the capacity ofparticipants from East and Southeast Asian countries to deliver training modules on the classificationof CITES and the wildlife trade in the region (Agenda and List of Attendees attached as Appendix
A & B respectively).

DAY 1 SUMMARY
The workshop began with the opening ceremony, with Dr. Irawati, former director of Bogor botanic
garden from LIPI, officiated the ToT course with a brief speech, encouraging delegates to participate
and share experiences with each other as the course provides a useful opportunity for networking
amongst the Southeast Asian and other Asian nations. Dr. Hidetsugu Miwa, technical officer
representing the MOEJ, also welcomed the participation of each delegates then introduced theESABII programs and activities updated.
The afternoon session was focused on the topics of the basic concept of CITES and identification
technique classification especially on the plant. These topics were presented by Ms. Wita Wardani,
Dr, Irawati and Dr. Bayu Adjie from LIPI. Ms. Wita Wardani initiated the session with the presentation
on ‘CITES: An Overview’ which provided the brief explanation of the CITES procedure and‘Identification of CITES listed Plant Species’ applying the technique to the practice of plantclassification based on the CITES Appendices. The next lecture was provided by Dr. Irawati with
‘Orchid and CITES,’ ‘Orchidaceae,’ ‘Plants in CITES’ and ‘Differences between wildcollected andartificially propagated plants.’ Those five presentations introduced the basic knowledge on the CITES
listed plants and discussed the specific case of the situation around the Orchid, which composed ofthe largest family of the flowering plants and it much attracted people’s concern with its beautiful
appearance, all orchids are listed in Appendix I and II. Dr. Bayu Adjie followed the session with
‘Identification of Tree ferns and its Management under CITES’. Dr. Bayu introduced the general
information of tree ferns, and its economic importance which caused the regulation of legal andillegal international trade.

DAY 2 SUMMARY
On the second day, morning session was focused on reptiles, amphibians and birds conducted byDr. Amir Hamidy and Mr. Muhammad Irham from LIPI. After introducing the brief explanation of thereptiles and amphibians related to the CITES trade, Dr. Hamidy shared the information ‘Identificationof Reptiles and Amphibians’ which provided how to identify/classify the species in CITES Appendices.
Mr. Irham followed the session with ‘Introduction to the identification techniques for CITES listed
birds species’ which identified the CITES listed species popularly commercialized in international
trade.
The afternoon session, participants were brought to Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM)
for half-day field study on the identification of CITES listed plants especially ferns and orchids. Firstly
FRIM guided the participants to the forest which was artificially managed. One participants fromMalaysia found the muskwood in the field and demonstrated how to identify the species ofmuskwood listed in CITES Appendices. The three specialists from LIPI, Dr. Irawati (Orchid specialist),
Dr. Bayu Adjie and Dr. Wita Wardani (Ferns specialist) also took lead the on-site training in Kepon
Botanic Garden assisted by three participants, Ms. Mamat, Ms. Suhaimi and Ms. Thani from FRIM.

DAY 3 SUMMARY
On the third day, participants visited Zoo Negara Malaysia in the morning for half-day field studyon the identification of CITES listed animals and birds. After the guidance at the seminar hallconducted by zoo staff, participants were brought to the laboratory work where the actual reptiles
exhibited such as snakes and turtles. Two specialists from LIPI took lead of this exercise supportedby the staff of Zoo Negara, and participants were able to see and touch the actual objects which werelisted on the CITES Appendices.
The participants went back to the hotel and attended the afternoon session led by Ms. WitaWardani. This session focused on the taxonomy of the specific CITES listed plants such as Pitcher
plant, Agarwood and Ramin and then excises using CITES Appendices and application of the givenknowledge shared in this training. Ms. Wardani, in the latter part, briefly introduces Appendix I, IIand III with its indices, provided taxonomic and structural explanation of animals and plants
classification with its annotations. Participants exercised its application of the knowledge andtechnique provided in a series of the previous lectures.

DAY 4 SUMMARY
The slots of the final day of the workshop were allocated to the ‘Country report’ which each delegate
shared the current situation related to the CITES regulation in each country. The name of participants
who represented their country were as follows; Ms. Syarifah Khadiejah Bt. Syed Mohd Kamil fromMalaysia, Ms. Alya Faryanti Purbahapsari from Indonesia, Mr. Somkiat Soontornpitakkool fromThailand, Mr. Herdy bin Haji Besar from Brunei, Mr. Tran Hung from Vietnam, Ms. Mary Grace B.
Ulatan from the Philippines, Mr. Khamphet KEOSOUVANH from Lao PDR, Ms. Myat Su Mon fromMyammar, Ms. Munkhzul Orolmaa from Mongolia and Mr. Hok Sokheang from Cambodia. The
country reports strongly attracted the participants concern with many questions and discussions
arose.
Organizer also invited Ms. Claire Beastal, program officer from Traffic Southeast Asia as a special
trainer on CITES regulation. Although the Traffic declined this year’s organizer due to the conflict ofthe schedule, Ms. Beastal accepted our offer willingly and provided one-hour special lecture titledon ‘CITES Regulations’ which shared various information such as the background of illegal wildlife
trade, how to regulate it by CITES regulations, the functions of CITES regulations on its Appendices,
and its current problems and challenges. This lecture remained deep impacts in the participants
according to the feedback from the participants.
In the closing ceremony, Dr. Hajime Hirosawa from MOEJ concluded the four-day workshop withhis appreciation for the participation of each delegates and contribution of lecturers from LIPI andTraffic Southeast Asia. All participants were duly appreciated with the certificate given fromorganizer represented by Dr. Irawati from LIPI and Dr. Hirosawa from MOEJ.