What does a hippopotamus and a straw-headed bulbul have in common? What, some may ask, even is a straw-headed bulbul?
Both were proposed for listing on Appendix I of CITES, which, if successful, would eliminate international trade in them, their parts, or derivatives, for commercial purposes. Born Free is working to make that happen!
What Unites the Hippo and the Bulbul? Economic Value.
We know what hippos are, but less familiar is the bulbul, a starling-sized bird with a golden head and a beautiful song. Bulbuls and hippos both have economic value – the songbird caged for its singing, the hippopotamus killed for meat, hides, and teeth. Both also face other threats, including habitat loss. Any wildlife of harm to human interests, such as hippopotami ravaging farm crops, may face lethal remediation. However, CITES deals only with international trade.
Because of slow rates of reproduction, and much black-market trade, conservationists fear hippos are being killed “unsustainably” for their teeth, with the illegal killing and loss from other causes contributing to the overall population declines. Opponents to the proposal argue that the hippo is not yet rare enough overall to warrant a stop on international commercial trade.
Ironically, a similar argument won the day years ago when a modest proposal to put the straw-headed bulbul on Appendix II of CITES, which would have monitored, but not end, international commercial trade by the exotic pet industry, failed. This once common and widespread southeast Asian songbird is now critically endangered with about 500 left in the wild in a few widely scattered locations. What will happen with another south-Asian songbird proposal, the white-rumped shama, where an Appendix II listing has been offered by Malaysia and Singapore, as numbers of this lovely little thrush, valued as a caged bird for its song, steadily decline? We cannot make a prediction but support its protection from commercial international trade.
Other Appendix I Proposals at CITES CoP19
In addition to the hippo and bulbul, other Appendix I proposals include:
- Pygmy bluetongue lizard. Found only in, and fully protected by, Australia, there is a high black-market demand by collectors.
- Red-crowned roofed turtle. Found only in the Ganga Basin of India (also Bangladesh, but probably now extinct there), India proposes moving this critically endangered turtle from Appendix II to Appendix I because illegally obtained animals are still discovered in international trade.
- Indochinese box turtle. Because of intense demand, with one turtle worth nearly $1000.00 in the U.S., the species is now gone from at least 90% of its range. A complete ban on commercial trade would help at least reduce illegal trade.
- Zebra peco. This small, black and white striped catfish found only in the Xingu River, Brazil, is protected, yet threatened by illegal poaching for the aquarium trade. An Appendix I listing would help curtail that threat.
These species have all been hurt by the monetary value placed upon them. We can try to save them now, or risk losing them forever. The choices will soon be made.
If you are interested in a more in-depth look at all of Born Free’s positions for CoP19, read our position paper.
Follow Born Free USA on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep an eye on our CITES hub, for updates from the Conference!
Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
Barry
