PORTUGAL ON CITES COP15 U.S. SPECIES PROPOSALS

UNCLAS LISBON 000045 SIPDIS DEPT FOR OES/ENRC:LGAMBLE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KSCA SENV AORC ECON PO SUBJECT: PORTUGAL ON CITES COP15 U.S. SPECIES PROPOSALS REF: STATE 6668 ¶1. Poleconoff and Economic Assistant delivered reftel talking points to Ana Zuquete, Joao Loureiro, and Paulo Carmo of the Portuguese Institute for Conservation of Nature and Biodiversity, who will be the Portuguese delegation to CoP15 and share issue responsibilities. Loureiro will lead the delegation !n!BQQQTQ 0V1>eiroj@icnb.pt, telephone 351 21-350-7900. ¶2. Loureiro prefaced his remaC'czmZQY/xz=x ;hnl be part of the EU consensus position to be finalized over the next several weeks, but probable positions are known for the proposals. ¶3. Carmo said Portugal is sympathetic to the polar bear proposal but is not convinced the decrease in numbers or level of trade meets CITES criteria for transfer to Appendix ¶I. The group projected that decreasing size and quality of polar bear habitat due to climate change would aO>Eq:iHQQQ perhaps emerging data would change their position. ¶4. Carmo said Portugal and the EU do not support deletion of the bobcat from Appendix II because of continuing look-alike concerns with the Iberian lynx, the most endangered feline species, with a population of only about 300. Carmo said Portuguese wildlife experts reviewed the online fur identification guide and still had great difficulty distinguishing bobcat fur from Iberian lynx fur, and are concerned that enforcement officers with less scientific expertise would be unable to distinguish between them. ¶5. Carmo said Portugal and the EU support the shark, coral, and snake trade workshop proposals. For more reporting from Embassy Lisbon and information about Portugal, please see our Intelink site: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/portal:port ugal BALLARD