Roundup: Conservationists welcome proposal on Chinese crocodile lizard

Conservationists on Tuesday welcomed a proposal jointly put forward by China and other countries that aims to better protect Chinese crocodile lizard at the ongoing world wildlife conference in Johannesburg.

China, EU countries and Vietnam submitted proposal number 33 where they are asking to up the Chinese crocodile lizard from appendix II to I, during the 17th Conference of Parties (Cop17) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The lizard is threatened with extinction, having declined from 6,000 in 1978 to 950 at the moment.

The CITES Secretariat has supported the proposal because there is a high demand for international trade in the species and the lizard population continues to decline.

Grace Gabriel, Asia regional director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), told Xinhua that IFAW supports the proposal.

CITES also said the Chinese crocodile lizard population is declining due to poaching for international pet trade and decrease in habitat quality. IFAW believes there is a political will in China to fight illegal trade in wildlife, the same as conservationists.

Wildlife law enforcement agencies in China have been very diligent in cracking down on illegal wildlife trade, seizing large quantities of wildlife contraband and prosecuting a lot of criminals, she said.

She also said the global community should work together and coordinate to break the transnational organized syndicates dealing with wild animals and species.

Gabriel said, "The legal trade of ivory from Africa turned trickle of demand into a flood in Asia and provides cover for criminals to launder illegally obtained ivory. It is critically important for African countries to realize that every country on the entire trade chain, from range to transit to consumer, has the responsibility. We need to smash every link on that trade chain to protect wildlife."

Dr. Aili Kang, executive director of Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Asia Program said they also support the pet lizard proposal.

Kang said based on population estimations, a marked historic decline in the wild Chinese sub population to about 15 percent of the baseline was inferred.

Kang said, "We assume this proposal has high possibility to be adopted. We will encourage and embrace the adoption."

WCS recommends that the Parties adopt this proposal, as the species clearly qualifies for inclusion in Appendix I, and an Appendix I listing is at present a critical effective mechanism to conserve the Chinese crocodile lizard in the wild, said Kang.

China's CoP 17 proposal 41 also asks for the Hong Kong warty newt to be included in Appendix II. The CITES Secretariat has also recommended that the proposal be adopted. Endit