Criteria for CITES species protection

![Figure][1] Although the red pencilfish is listed as critically endangered and threatened by trade, it is not listed in CITES. PHOTO: BRUNO CAVIGNAUX/BIOSPHOTO/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO Unsustainable international wildlife trade is a major conservation concern, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is a key tool for regulating it. In their Policy Forum “Long delays in banning trade in threatened species” (15 February, p. 686), E. G. Frank and D. S. Wilcove suggest that when the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species identifies a species as threatened, at least in part by international trade, it should be promptly added to CITES. The authors claim that 271 such species warrant inclusion in CITES Appendix I or II, which they characterize as a backlog in need of clearing. We welcome the suggestion for closer interaction between the Red List and amendments to the CITES Appendices. However, the proposed approach of a near-automatic pathway overlooks the independent criteria and processes used for evaluating extinction risk on the Red List and for including species in CITES. ![Figure][1] Many pangolin species were upgraded to the more urgent CITES rating only after risk from trade had rapidly increased. PHOTO: [ISTOCK.COM][2]/2630BEN The Red List uses objective categories and criteria with quantitative thresholds (such as population size and trends) and information on known or likely threats ([ 1 ][3]). Conversely, the listing of species under CITES, a legally binding multilateral agreement, is a matter for its 183 parties. CITES uses detailed biological and trade criteria to evaluate proposals for species inclusion in its Appendices, and proposals can only be submitted by parties ([ 2 ][4]). Crucially, species threatened on the Red List that can be linked to international trade may not meet the criteria for inclusion in CITES, particularly when international trade is not a major threat. We agree that new or updated Red List assessments should be shared promptly with the CITES parties, but only subsequent evaluation of species against the CITES listing criteria can determine whether they are added. 1. [↵][5]IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee, “Guidelines for using the IUCN Red List categories and criteria, version 13 (2017); . 2. [↵][6]CITES, Res. Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP17), Criteria for amendment of Appendices I and II ( ). [1]: pending:yes [2]: http://ISTOCK.COM [3]: #ref-1 [4]: #ref-2 [5]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text" [6]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2 in text"