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Viewing cable 10BERLIN162, GERMAN RESPONSE TO CITES COP15 DEMARCHE

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
10BERLIN162 2010-02-05 14:34 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Berlin
VZCZCXRO7610
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHRL #0162/01 0361434
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051434Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6490
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 000162 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES/ENRC - Lloyd Gamble 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV KSCA CITES AORC UNEP GM
SUBJECT: GERMAN RESPONSE TO CITES COP15 DEMARCHE 
 
REF:  STATE 6668 
 
BERLIN 00000162  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
1.  This is an action request, please see paragraph 10. 
 
2.  (U) Summary.  On January 27, Econoff conveyed reftel 
points and non-paper on U.S. proposals for the upcoming CITES 
COP15 to Gerhard Adams and Karoline Hess in the German Federal 
Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear 
Safety.  On February 4, Mr. Adams conveyed German support for 
the U.S coral, snake and polar bear proposals, but expressed 
concerns with the U.S. bobcat proposal.  Germany is 
considering the U.S. shark proposal, but requests U.S. support 
for the EU shark proposal.  Germany's positions ultimately 
will be in line with the common EU positions.  End Summary. 
 
3.  (U) GERMAN DELEGATION TO CITES COP15 
 
Dr. Elsa Nickel (Head of Delegation) 
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Nature Conservation Division 
Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and 
Nuclear Safety 
Responsible for issues of high political priority 
Elsa.nickel@bmu.bund.de 
+49-0228-99-305-2605/-2606 
 
Gerhard Adams (Deputy Head of Delegation) 
Section Head, Office of Species Conservation 
Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and 
Nuclear Safety 
Responsible for all issues, especially those of high political 
priority, such as elephants 
Gerhard.adams@bmu.bund.de 
+49-0228-99-305-2631 
 
Karoline Hess 
Desk Officer, Office of Species Conservation 
Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and 
Nuclear Safety 
Responsible for all issues, especially those of high political 
priority, including listing criteria and introduction from the 
sea 
 
Frank Barsch 
Desk Officer, Office of Species Conservation 
Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and 
Nuclear Safety 
Responsible for tigers and other issues 
 
Dr. Irina Sprotte 
Head Advisor, Export and Import of Animals and Plants 
(Enforcement of Species Protection) 
German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation 
Responsible for implementation issues, including ranching, 
purpose codes and introduction from the sea 
 
Dr. Uwe Schippmann 
Head Advisor, Conservation of Botanical Species 
German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation 
Responsible for botanical issues 
 
Michael Mller-Boge 
Head Advisor for Legal Issues (Enforcement of Species 
Protection) 
German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation 
Responsible for implementation issues such as electronic 
permitting 
 
Franz BQhmer 
Deputy Head Advisor for Legal Issues (Enforcement of Species 
Protection) 
German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation 
Responsible for enforcement issues 
 
Harald Martens 
Desk Officer, Conservation of Zoological Species 
German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation 
Responsible for zoological issues, including sharks, bluefin 
tuna, corals and polar bears 
 
Ulrich Schepp 
Desk Officer, Conservation of Zoological Species 
German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation 
Responsible for zoological issues, including snake trade and 
bobcats 
 
Hans-Josef Schmitz-Kretschmer 
Desk Officer, Conservation of Botanical Species 
German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation 
Responsible for botanical issues, including tropical timber 
 
BERLIN 00000162  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
Christian Stang 
Administrative Assistant 
Nordrhein-Westfalen Ministry for Environment, Nature 
Conservation, Agriculture and Consumer Protection 
Responsible for financial issues 
 
Dr. Ingo Strmer 
Advisor to the German delegation on sharks 
 
Petra Deimer 
Advisor to the German delegation on various issues 
 
Dr. Sarah Fowler 
Advisor to the German delegation on sharks 
 
Sharks: Germany Proposes Mutual Support 
------------------------------------- 
 
4.  (U) Germany is considering the U.S. shark proposal, but 
requests U.S. support for the EU shark proposal.  The EU shark 
proposal, which Germany initiated, proposes listing the 
porbeagle (lamna nasus) and spiny dogfish (squalus 
acanthias)in CITES Appendix II.  The German government 
believes that the U.S. will support the porbeagle proposal, 
but has no clear information on the U.S. position on the spiny 
dogfish proposal.  In addition, Germany has proposed a joint 
EU/U.S. side event on shark proposals during the COP15. They 
have not yet received an answer from the U.S. 
 
Corals 
------ 
 
5.  (U) Germany supports the U.S. coral proposal, as the EU is 
a co-sponsor.  Germany has doubts as to whether there is 
sufficient scientific information to support the coral 
proposal, but supports listing corals in Appendix II as a 
precaution. 
 
Polar Bears 
---------- 
 
6.  (U) Germany supports the U.S. polar bear proposal, but 
requests additional information to defend the proposal within 
the EU.  Germany questions if the trade in polar bear products 
and the threats to polar bear habitats truly fulfill the 
criteria to list polar bears in Appendix I. 
 
Bobcats 
------- 
 
7.  (U) Germany does not support the U.S. proposal. Experts 
from the German Environment Ministry and German Customs Agency 
do not believe that they have adequate guidelines to 
distinguish lynx furs from bobcat furs.  They have reviewed 
the proposed U.S. guidelines, but do not think they are 
sufficient, especially for furs without tails or ears.  They 
suggested that other European countries agree with this 
assessment. 
 
Snakes 
------ 
 
8.  (U) Germany supports the joint U.S./China proposal. 
 
German Requests 
-------------- 
 
9.  (U) Germany requested U.S. assistance to reach agreement 
on document 27, "Introduction from the Sea" and document 63, 
"Criteria to Include Species in Appendices I and II."  Germany 
supports the CITES secretariat's position on introduction from 
the sea and hopes to develop common procedures to handle 
marine species harvested in international waters.  Germany 
believes that strengthening the criteria for including marine 
species in the CITES appendices to match those for including 
land species will prevent overexploitation of marine species. 
 
Action Request 
------------- 
 
10.  (U) Action Request.  Post requests guidance on the U.S. 
position on the EU shark proposal, CITES document 27 and 
document 63.  In addition, Post requests guidance on the 
German proposal for joint EU/U.S. shark event at the COP15. 
 
 
 
MURPHY