CITES COP15: AUSTRIA AGAINST BOBCAT PROPOSAL

UNCLAS VIENNA 000126 SIPDIS, SENSITIVE OES/ENRC FOR LLOYD GAMBLE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV KSCA CITES AORC UNEP AU SUBJECT: CITES COP15: AUSTRIA AGAINST BOBCAT PROPOSAL REF: STATE 6668 ¶1. (U) On February 1, Post met with Max Abensperg-Traun, the Austrian expert for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment who will be the Austrian representative at COP15 in March. We made sure to hold the meeting one day before an EU coordination meeting in Brussels. The EU countries intend to draft a common position and speak with one voice in Doha. ¶2. (SBU) Abensperg said that Austria and, as we understand, the EU is supporting the U.S. proposals on sharks, corals, polar bears and snakes. Overall, he expects very good cooperation between the U.S. and Europe on most issues at COP15. ¶3. (SBU) However, Austria and the EU would vote against deletion of bobcat from Appendix II. Abensperg said that the "toolkit" or identification guide, as it is available to date, is "insufficient" to avoid confusion with other lynx species. In particular, identification techniques for the tail or pelts without tails are still needed, our interlocutor said. Abensperg added that even if the number of Eurasian Lynx entering into trade as bobcat is very low, the problem still persists. EACHO