CITES: Introduction From the Sea
November 05, 2013
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora--also known as CITES--is an international agreement signed by 178 nations designed to ensure that international trade in animals and plants does not threaten their survival in the wild. The new framework for CITES "introduction from the sea" provisions will lead to greater certainty and consistency in the issuance of CITES permits.
CITES-listed animals or plants taken from the high seas—defined as “the marine environment not under the jurisdiction of any State”—are subject to CITES trade provisions. Parties must implement these provisions whenever an Appendix-I or -II specimen is taken from the high seas and transported into a State. The trade in these specimens is referred to as “introduction from the sea." This new framework for CITES "introduction from the sea" provisions will lead to greater certainty and consistency in the issuance of CITES permits.
This fact sheet is also available in the following languages:
- Spanish (PDF, 2 pages)
- Portuguese (PDF, 2 pages)
- French (PDF, 2 pages)
- Arabic (PDF, 2 pages)