Notification to the Parties

CONCERNING:

Conservation of and trade in sea cucumbers
in the families Holothuridae and Stichopodidae

1. Decision 12.61 directs the Secretariat to convene, in cooperation with relevant bodies, a technical workshop to consider and review biological and trade information that would assist in establishing conservation priorities and actions to secure the conservation status of sea cucumbers in the families Holothuridae and Stichopodidae. In accordance with Decision 12.60, the Animals Committee shall review the outcomes of this workshop and prepare, for consideration at the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties, a discussion paper on the biological and trade status of sea cucumbers in the above families to provide scientific guidance on the actions needed to secure their conservation status.

2. At its 19th meeting (Geneva, August 2003), the Animals Committee formulated comments and guidance concerning the workshop’s objectives, agenda, participation and practical arrangements (see documents AC19 Doc. 17 and AC19 WG9 Doc. 1).

3. The workshop is scheduled to take place at the end of January 2004 or early in February 2004. It should bring together representatives of the fisheries sector, exporting and importing countries, intergovernmental organizations, knowledgeable non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders and experts. The workshop budget and structure allow for a meeting of around 50 participants. Representation from countries and organizations should be limited to one individual.

4. Although it may be desirable to have all known exporting and importing countries represented in the workshop, this would not be possible owing to the large number of countries involved. The Secretariat therefore suggests that priority for participation be given to those countries and territories whose trade in sea cucumbers in recent years (i.e. during the period 2000-2001) exceeded five tonnes (see document CoP12 Doc. 45), or that have particular expertise to contribute to the workshop.

5. The Animals Committee furthermore recommended that the Secretariat try to determine the level of interest of the Parties in attending this workshop. If more people wish to attend than can be accommodated, a regional representation may have to be decided.

6. The Secretariat would appreciate receiving an expression of interest from Parties to attend this workshop by 30 November 2003 at the latest.

7. The proposed objectives and draft agenda for the technical workshop on the conservation of and trade in sea cucumbers in the families Holothuridae and Stichopodidae are presented in the Annex to this Notification.

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Annex

Technical workshop on the conservation of and trade in sea cucumbers
in the families Holothuridae and Stichopodidae
(Decisions 12.60 and 12.61)

Objectives

The objectives of the technical workshop are:

1. To review information on the status, catches and bycatches of and trade in specimens of sea cucumbers within the families Holothuridae and Stichopodidae, and domestic measures for their conservation, including the adequacy of these measures;

2. To establish priorities and actions to secure the conservation status of sea cucumbers within the families Holothuridae and Stichopodidae, addressing inter alia trade monitoring and controls, national legislation and regulations, fisheries management options, conservation management and research, enforcement and capacity building; and

3. To formulate findings and recommendations that can contribute towards the discussion paper on the biological and trade status of sea cucumbers within the families Holothuridae and Stichopodidae to be prepared by the Animals Committee for the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

 

Draft agenda

1. Adoption of the agenda and working programme

2. Background to the workshop – CITES and sea cucumbers

3. Sea cucumber biology

– Taxonomy and distribution

– Biology

– Conservation status

4. Utilization of sea cucumbers

– Utilization as food

– Other uses

5. Sea cucumber fisheries and current trade

– Legal trade

– Illegal, unreported and unregulated trade

– Bycatch

– Socio-economic characteristics of the trade in sea cucumbers

6. Management and conservation strategies and practices

– Fisheries management approaches

– Wild harvest (minimum size limits, closed seasons, closed areas, etc.)

– Aquaculture

– Restocking

– Trade controls and enforcement, including identification of specimens in trade

7. Reports from key sea cucumber trading countries and territories

8. Plenary discussion and agreement of working group topics (e.g. conservation strategies; fisheries management; national and international measures; and potential CITES implementation issues)

9. Working group sessions

10. Working group reports back to plenary

11. Plenary discussion and identification of priorities and actions to secure the conservation status of sea cucumbers

12. Reporting by the Animals Committee to the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties

13. Closure of the workshop