Notification to the Parties

CONCERNING:

Identification of wool of Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii)

1. In 1999, the CITES Secretariat co-chaired, with the Management Authority of China, an International Workshop on Conservation and Control of Trade in Tibetan Antelope. One of the recommendations of the workshop was that an identification kit be created to assist enforcement officials to distinguish Tibetan antelope wool, known as shahtoosh, from other similar products. The Metropolitan Police Service of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with the assistance of non-governmental organizations, the Management Authority of the United Kingdom and the CITES Secretariat, has created such a kit.

2. The kit contains information providing an overview of the illegal trade in Tibetan antelope wool, details of microscopic and DNA identification techniques, and also a sample of Tibetan antelope wool.

3. Any Party that wishes to receive a copy of the identification kit should contact the CITES Management Authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Since the kit contains a sample of Tibetan antelope wool, the issuance of import permits and re-export certificates will be required.

4. The kits are available only in English.