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Notification to the Parties

No. 1999/98 Geneva, 29 December 1999

CONCERNING:

Conservation of and control of trade in Tibetan antelope

1. An international workshop on the Conservation of and Control of Trade in Tibetan Antelope was held in Xining, China from 12 to 14 October 1999. The workshop was co-organized by the CITES Management Authority of China and the Secretariat with financial support from the Government of the United Kingdom, World Wide Fund for Nature, China Wildlife Conservation Association and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, in an effort to promote international co-operation to save endangered wild populations of Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii), a species listed in Appendix I of the Convention since 1979.

2. The populations of Tibetan antelope, mainly found on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China, have declined dramatically in the last decade as a result of serious poaching driven by the illegal trade in the parts and derivatives of the animal. The fine wool of the Tibetan antelope, known as shahtoosh, is illegally traded to produce clothing, most commonly in the form of shawls. The workshop discussed technical issues such as the illegal transit, manufacturing and consumption of shahtoosh and the products made from it, and made an international call to take action to assist in conserving the species and combating illicit trade in specimens derived from it.

3. The Secretariat transmits herewith for information the Xining Declaration and the Recommendations for Action adopted at the workshop. (These are available only in English, the original language in which they were provided.)