Convention on International Trade 
in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) 
The United States is a party to the Convention on 
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and 
Flora (CITES) which is designed to control trade in animal 
and- plant species which are or may become threatened with 
extinction. The extent of trade control depends upon the 
extent to which the species is endangered, as reflected by 
inclusion in one of three appendices which can be modified 
by agreement of the parties. Appendix I includes species 
threatened with extinction that are or may be affected by 
trade. Appendix II includes species that although not 
necessarily currently threatened with extinction, may become 
so unless trade in them is strictly controlled, as well as 
species that must be regulated so that trade in "look alike" 
species that are endangered may be brought under effective 
control. Appendix III includes species that any party 
identifies as being subject to regulation within its jurisdiction 
for the purpose of preventing or restricting exploitation, 
and for which the party needs the cooperation of other 
parties in controlling trade. 
The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife 
Service has overall responsibility for developing the U.S. 
positions and implementing the provisions of CITES. In 
preparation for the third biennial meeting of the parties in 
February 1981, the Service requested comments from the 
Commission by letter of 30 May 1980 as to whether or not the 
United States should propose any amendments of Appendix I or 
II and on the proposed amendments of Appendix II to include 
the harp seal, hooded seal, and Northern fur seal. 
The Commission responded by letter of 1 August 1980 
recommending, as it had in the past, that the United States 
propose including in Appendix I all the stocks of whales 
that are protected from commercial whaling by the regulations 
of the International Whaling Commission. The Commission 
noted that including such zero quota stocks on Appendix I of 
CITES would complement and help ensure the effectiveness of 
the International Whaling Commission's conservation measures 
and that it would be desirable to annotate those listings to 
explain that they were being included for that reason rather 
than because each stock has been determined to be in danger 
of extinction on the basis of affirmative scientific evidence. 
With respect to the proposals to list the harp, hooded, and 
Northern fur seals on Appendix II, the Commission suggested 
that a decision on these proposals be deferred and that 
representatives of the Fish and Wildlife Service, National 
Marine Fisheries Service, and the Commission meet to discuss 
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