Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10ACCRA114
2010-02-05 11:41:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Accra
Cable title:  

GHANA OK WITH U.S. CITES PROPOSALS

Tags:  SENV TBIO CITES GH 
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RUEHTRO
DE RUEHAR #0114 0361141
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 051141Z FEB 10 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8870
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS ACCRA 000114 

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W AND OES/ENRC/LLOYD GAMBLE

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV TBIO CITES GH
SUBJECT: GHANA OK WITH U.S. CITES PROPOSALS

REFS: STATE 6668

THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE PROTECT
ACCORDINGLY. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.

UNCLAS ACCRA 000114

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W AND OES/ENRC/LLOYD GAMBLE

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV TBIO CITES GH
SUBJECT: GHANA OK WITH U.S. CITES PROPOSALS

REFS: STATE 6668

THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE PROTECT
ACCORDINGLY. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Ghana will support the U.S. priority proposals
for the March 2010 CITES Meeting on sharks, corals and polar bears,
but feels that U.S. proposals on bobcats require support from the
European states, to avoid confusion with other lynx species. Ghana,
along with several other African states, strongly opposes the
Tanzanian and Zambian proposals to reduce the level of protection
afforded to African elephants and to permit legalized sales of
elephant ivory. END SUMMARY


2. (U) Per reftel request, we shared the U.S. proposals for the
March 2010 Conference of the Parties to the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) with Nana Kofi
Adu-Nsiah, Executive Director of the Wildlife Division of Ghana's
Forestry Commission. Mr. Adu-Nsiah will lead Ghana's delegation to
the CITES meeting.

--------------
Ghana Supports Most U.S. Proposals
--------------


3. (SBU) Mr. Adu-Nsiah said that Ghana would be able to support the
U.S. proposals on sharks, corals and polar bears. However, he noted
that the U.S. proposal to reduce the level of protection afforded to
bobcats would require support from European states, because of the
look-alike and identification problems with other species of lynx
prevalent in Europe.


4. (SBU) He also said that Ghana fully supported and was very
interested in the joint U.S.-China discussion document regarding
snake conservation and international trade in snakes. He noted that
commercial snake farming was becoming increasingly popular in Ghana,
and the country was now a significant exporter of snakes, especially
live pythons to European and North American markets. Given the
growth in snake farming and exports of live snakes, the GOG was
beginning to examine how snakes are handled prior to export,
appropriate quarantine procedures, and the issue of inspecting snake
farms.

-------------- ---
Ghana Opposed to Controlled Elephant Ivory Sales
-------------- ---


5. (SBU) Mr. Adu-Nsiah noted that African elephant conservation
would be the greatest concern of the sub-Saharan African states at
the CITES meeting. Many African states, including Ghana, were
opposed to proposals from Tanzania and Zambia to "downlist" African
elephants from CITES Appendix I to Appendix II, which would pave the
way for legalized and controlled sales of elephant ivory.


6. (SBU) In his view, Tanzania and Zambia were violating an
agreement reached at the 14th Conference of the Parties to CITES to
observe a moratorium on any changes to the treatment of African
elephants until 2018. In response to the Tanzanian and Zambian
proposals, a coalition of 23 African elephant range states
(including Ghana) had submitted a counter-proposal to the CITES
Secretariat asking that there be no changes in the treatment of
elephants for the next 20 years. He explained that the coalition
countries were deeply concerned that any legalized sales of elephant
ivory would encourage poaching and put tremendous pressure on many
of the smaller wild elephant populations in West, Central and
Eastern Africa. There had been a spike in poaching during the last
period of legalized elephant ivory sales, he noted.


7. (SBU) Mr. Adu-Nsiah made clear that the coalition was willing to
withdraw its proposal for an extended moratorium, in the event that
Tanzania and Zambia withdrew their proposals to downlist elephants,
and return to a moratorium that would expire in 2018. He also
stated that delegates from the coalition states had visited Brussels
during the last week of January 2010 in order to enlist EU support
for their position. However, it was not yet clear whether the EU
would support the coalition's position, that of Tanzania and Zambia,
or remain neutral.


8. (SBU) He understood that the U.S. would not be taking a position
until after a CITES panel of experts had issued an opinion regarding
the various African elephant proposals, and until after the African
states had met to try and reach a consensus or compromise on the
issue.

TEITELBAUM