Celebrating 50 Years of CITES

We're celebrating 50 years of life in @CITES - the highest authority on the international trade of endangered species!

There's been big moments and unusual quirks: from protecting Earth's rarest wildlife to support from a US President.

Here's a thread of our highlights 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/FiQqx1kSeu

— Kew Science (@KewScience) March 3, 2023

CITES began in the image below, Washington D.C. 1973. National leaders from around the globe gathered to forge an agreement on the international trade of wildlife! pic.twitter.com/lRixyhgpC3

— Kew Science (@KewScience) March 3, 2023

This first session featured - among a huge amount of debate and discussion - input from then-US President Richard Nixon.

"I applaud you for the challenge that is everywhere recognized as the responsibility of all nations." pic.twitter.com/7HVTb8BzxE

— Kew Science (@KewScience) March 3, 2023

From this was born an international promise - The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora - @CITES! pic.twitter.com/UQTIWdNpF1

— Kew Science (@KewScience) March 3, 2023

Half a century and 19 meetings of CITES signatory countries (CITES COPs) later, it's a different world.

Many more countries signed up to the agreement, but equally, many more challenges have been brought by a modern international trade 🌎🌍🌏 pic.twitter.com/yMk1orzWkY

— Kew Science (@KewScience) March 3, 2023

Here at Kew we go right back to CITES' early days - formally joining as the UK CITES Scientific Authority for Flora in 1976.

Since then, our role has been to study all import and export of plants and plant-based materials into/out of the UK 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/FSRagId2kU

— Kew Science (@KewScience) March 3, 2023

By 1976 the rules of CITES were legislated in the UK and the trade of certain species became tightly controlled to ensure their preservation.

The first to be added to the list (1976) include species such as the Nepal yam (D.deltoidea) and entire genera such as Euphorbia. pic.twitter.com/nfWPthprNh

— Kew Science (@KewScience) March 3, 2023

Today, this protected species number has blossomed to a total of 32,659 plant species.

We were co-proponents of one of the most recent additions to this list - species of the genus Rhodiola, with some found in the UK! pic.twitter.com/fG3Fo2Q4vH

— Kew Science (@KewScience) March 3, 2023

Over the years, our role has been to carefully study goods moving across borders.

The vast majority of the time, trade is CITES-compliant, but we've been involved in interventions too.

Slides from the 80's show numerous examples of species whose trade is restricted by CITES. pic.twitter.com/4LqwuTT5tu

— Kew Science (@KewScience) March 3, 2023

These particular slides, from 1988, show the confiscation of two highly prized orchids Paphiopedilum parishii and Paphiopedilum godefroyae, sent to Kew for identification.

The two species are considered Endangered by the IUCN Red List today. pic.twitter.com/wUNFUwKYOV

— Kew Science (@KewScience) March 3, 2023

It's not just live plants either...

Tracking and identifying timber such as rosewoods, commonly used in the production of instruments, has seen us process guitars belonging to the most high profile bands and musicians 🎸 pic.twitter.com/MFu9KiNiXs

— Kew Science (@KewScience) March 3, 2023

In the modern world, our Kew CITES team are working hard to make a difference, from championing the protection of new species year on year, to ensuring that legal, sustainable trade can go ahead wherever possible. pic.twitter.com/fRPK5pkefm

— Kew Science (@KewScience) March 3, 2023