Archived press release

Destructive mahogany trade set for international controls

3 June 1997

Mahogany entering the UK, the world's second largest importer, could soon be subject to trade regulation because of a proposal to list mahogany under the global convention to control the trade in endangered species (CITES) [1].

The proposal by the USA, the world's largest importer of mahogany and Bolivia, the USA's largest supplier, to list bigleaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) on Appendix II of CITES will help ensure that mahogany is traded legally and sustainably. Evidence submitted to the world wildlife trade body (CITES) shows that the current rates of mahogany logging throughout its natural range in Central and South America are not sustainable as it is not naturally regenerating.

There has already been support for the listing expressed by countries worldwide including the UK and several countries where mahogany is native [2].

Friends of the Earth, who will be at the CITES meeting, has been campaigning for legal controls on the trade since 1992. The trade is impacting upon mahogany tree populations,and is a destructive force within the Amazon rainforest often characterised by illegal logging within Indigenous and biological reserves.

Sarah Tyack of Friends of the Earth said:

"In view of the support from some key players in the mahogany trade for the listing of mahogany under CITES, we are hopeful that this meeting will result in international legal measures to help protect the rainforests from the impacts of illegal and unsustainable logging. Any government or trader interested in the long term commercial future of the mahogany tree should support this proposal".

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] The Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna. The
proposal will be voted upon by the 137 countries party to CITES at the next Convention of Parties which runs from June 9-20th 1997. A two thirds majority vote will be needed for the proposal to become a listing. This will be the third time that a proposal to list mahogany on Appendix II has gone to CITES. In 1994 the proposal,which was submitted by the Netherlands, was narrowly outvoted by only 6 votes.

[2] Countries who have shown early support for the listing include:

Range states (where mahogany naturally occurs)

Bolivia (joint proposer with the USA and one of the worlds largest exporters of mahogany)
Venezuela
Ecuador
Costa Rica
Guatemala - significant exporter
Honduras - significant exporter

Other countries party to CITES
Argentina - significant importer
Chile
Trinidad and Tobago

USA (joint proposer and the world's largest importer of mahogany)
UK - (the world's second largest importer of mahogany)
Germany
The Netherlands
Sweden

Republic of Congo (a country with experience of exporting an Appendix II listed timber: afrormosia)
Mozambique
Nigeria
Liberia

Indonesia
Thailand
Vietnam
Australia

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