- Star tortoises (Geochelone elegans), the smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) and small-clawed otters (Anoyx cinereus) have been listed under Appendix I of CITES and will now enjoy the highest degree of protection as there will be a complete international ban enforced on their trade.
- India had proposed to upgrade the protection of these species under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species on Wild Fauna and Flora) .
- According to the CITES, these are threatened with extinction and CITES prohibits international trade in specimens of these species except when the purpose of the import is not commercial, for instance for scientific research
- The upgradation was approved at the Conference of the Parties (COP18) held at Geneva.
- Appendix I of CITES lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants.
About Star tortoises
- Star tortoises is categorized as ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union of Conservation of Nature and a decline greater than 30% was predicted by 2025 if the exploitation continued or expanded.
- Its name comes from the star-like patterns that feature on its high-domed shell.
- According to IUCN, it is native to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
- In India it is found in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.
About smooth-coated otter
- In case of the small-clawed otter and smooth-coated otter, which are traded for their fur in the international market, numbers are also declining due to habitat loss.
- Smooth-coated otter is characterized by a very smooth, sleek pelage. Their eyes and ears are small, the tail is flattened, limbs are short, strong, and the fore and hind paws are large and well-webbed.
- It is distributed throughout the country from the Himalayas and to the south in India. It is sympatric with other otter species in the Western Ghats and the northeast India.
About Asian small-clawed otter
- The Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea) is the smallest of the world’s otters and is found widely across Asia from south-western India, through southern China, the Malay Peninsula, to Sumatra, Java, Borneo and the Palawan Island in the Philippines.
- The Asian small-clawed otters are abundant in the hill ranges of the Western Ghats of Southern India. Since their diet includes mainly crabs, crustaceans and other mollusks, in India, they are usually found in hill streams.
About CITES
- CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments.
- Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival
- The text of the Convention was finally agreed at a meeting of representatives of 80 countries in Washington, D.C., the United States of America, on 3 March 1973, and on 1 July 1975 CITES entered in force.
- India became party of this convention on April 13, 1987.
