OFFICERS TO ASSIST IN IMPLEMENTING AND ENFORCING THE CITES CONVENTION
Four officers from the Ministry of Fisheries and Forestry - two from each Ministry are part of a training conducted by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change on the enforcement and implementation of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna (CITES) in the Western Division.
Saimone Nalewabau, Forester from Rakiraki, Tuiviti Nakalavo, Forester from Ba and Rasekaia Rokosuka and Epeli Tawake from the Lautoka Fisheries Service Centre, after the one-day training will be able to assist the Ministry of Environment in implementing and enforcing the CITES Convention.
CITES was established in 1972 and came into force in 1975 with an aim to regulate and protect wildlife through controlling international trade. CITES now has 183 members that will only trade CITES certified/licensed wildlife.
In 2002, Fiji put in place the Endangered and Protected Species Act (EPS Act) 2002 followed by the Endangered and Protected Species Regulation (EPS Regulation) in 2003 that regulates the domestic and international trade of endangered species by requiring a permit to be applied for and before any endangered species can be traded within Fiji, regionally or internationally.
To date, Fiji has established the CITES Scientific Council and CITES Management Authority to help facilitate the implementation of Fiji's CITES obligation.
The objectives of the training is to create awareness on the national implementation of CITES and the implications of the EPS Act and the roles of the different agencies in the implementation of CITES, provide an accurate and much needed information source for all officers to successfully Implement CITES in Fiji, assist participants to be better equipped to handle CITES issues on the ground and to train possible authorized officers under the Endangered and Protected Species Act 2002.
Newly appointed
Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Mosese Bulitavu officiated at the opening
of the training today.