Learning outcomes (On completion of this section, you should be able to: 1 identify key international agreements concerned with the management and conservation of natural resources in the Caribbean region = understand the use and application of international agreements asa tool for the management and conservation of natural resources in the Caribbean region = explain how environmental law derived from international law is implemented and enforced by Caribbean states by means of policies and legislation. Did you know? CCITES is one of the largest and oldest conservation and sustainable use agreements in existence! eeniee ee Appendix Explanation nmental and conservation law II Addressing specific threats to species and cosystems ie are not experienced only at ecosystem level ‘often the first affected when degradation of ionally, in the last 20 years, focus ha’ anthropogenic effects on desertification. Specifi Environmental th individual species ecosystems takes place, Addit shifted to the effects of human-caused or climate change, and its resultant effects such as desertification, Specit agreements have therefore been drawn up to address the es, ani they are discussed below. International conservation agreements The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is a multilateral treaty, drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the Internation. Union for Conservati n of Nature (IUCN). The convention was opened for signature in 1973, and entered into force on 1 July 1975. Its aim is t ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plant does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild, and it accord: varying degrees of protection to more than 34,000 species of animals anc plants. The 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change arose out of the 1992 Rio Conference, and, along, with its main amendment the Kyoto Protocol, addresses the sources and effects of the environmental threat of global warming and climate change. Onc such effect ~ desertification — is addressed by the 1994 United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, The 1973 Convention on International Trade in E1 Species of Wild Fauna and Flora oe sewed CITES works by subjecting international trade in specimens of selected species to certain controls, All import, export and re-export covered! by the Convention has to be authorised through a licensing system. The principa mechanism is the listing of species into three Appendices, With ihe : Coes of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD} in » there has been increased Collaboration between the two MEAs. ___ Examples in the Caribbean Appendix! | Species threatenedwith extinction. a all species of marine turtl urtles Specimens of these specie exceptional licensed circu Commercial trade in wild- cought "manatees (Sirenia) = the jaguar (Panthera onca) (Belize, Suriname and Prohibited, permitted only in Guyana), imstances (eg = for ex-situ conservation measures) G \ppendix I | pale Species not necessarily - f Neatened with extinction, but | the green iguana (Iguana Iguana) (Jamaica) that may become |= the queen conch (Stro IbUS gi oho ese rect Ae ii Us gigas) (Belize, Jamaica and _ rade in Appendix! species i a | * bigleaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) (Belize) | be authorised by the Branting of an _ &Xport permit or re. Certificatea Module 3 Species that are sted ateranc Sustainable use of natural resources Mil member country has asker Nor | Cives Parties te, eee other . howevec st hh the Caribbean region controllin, #, the Central Ameri ith ecessarily threateneg | O/manni) and the alligator enanorow rote eon eras | with extinction globally temmincki ogee em Snapping turtle (Macrochelys | ie nited States Species may be split-listed, meanin that some populations Of a species Hy ‘on one Appendi {none Appendix, while some are on the St Vincent parrot (A Vincent and ‘the Gren of CITES the Atay elephant (Loxodonta africana) is currently 4 'ed, with all populations ‘except those of ‘otswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe listed Appendix |, Those of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa | and Zimbabwe are listed in Appendix Il. \mazona guildingii), endemic to St_| iadines, is listed on Appendix | and Il ‘amework Conventi i 1997 kyoto Protect n limate Did you know? le aad eae, the objective of this treaty is to The 1973 Convention on BR incconic embers ata eve ee er Carnet hae Fahosenic interference with the climate Species of Wild Fauna and Flora i aa eee important in light (CITES) is one of the largest and ce che sae. The main mechanism ofthe oldest conservation and sustainable ee. ent into two broad categories — use agreements in existence. The Primarily industrialised (developed) countries and agreement seeks to regulate the transition’ states, and Annex II, which are mostly low- international trade in specimens of States. Caribbean countries fall into this Annex, The _wild animals and plants by according protocol of the Convention is the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, _varying degrees of protection to. by the parties to the UNFCCC in 1997, and entered _ more than 34,000 species of animals As part of the Kyoto Protocol, many developed and plants. Many wild and important. agreed to legally binding limitations/reductions in their commercial species in the Caribbean n gases in two commitment periods. The first are now included on the CITES list. d applies to emissions between 2008 and 2012, and ent period applies to emissions between 2013 and d Nations Convention to Combat (UNCCD) 1994 ‘United Nations Convention to Combat Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought particularly in Africa’ (UNCCD) is to combat d mitigate the effects of drought on the world's e and ecosystems. Many Caribbean states have land from natural disasters such as the combined effects ‘and Emily on Grenada, as well as poor land use . ieee beach mining and unsustainable agriculture. They have co cred gustainable land management programmes which The obligations under these conservation agreements lead to many in-situ and ex-situ conservation practices, such as protected areas, land use management and seed banks. See 3.20 for more on these conservation bout as a result. practices. aus has shifted to the effects of anthropogenic-driven ge, and its resultant effects. he