It is the duty of any Party to CITES to make a Non-detriment Finding (NDF) prior to the export of wild-sourced specimens of species listed on CITES-Appendix II. This approval of sustainability is crucial to comply with the Convention in ensuring that trade will not be detrimental to the species.
However, for a long time Parties were left unguided how exactly an NDF should be done, especially with regard to timber producing species. The German CITES Scientific Authority based at the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) together with TRAFFIC have developed 9-Steps Guidances on CITES Non-detriment Findings for perennial plants and for timber. The Guidances were developed to fill the gap of an operational guidance for this purpose and are available on the BfN and CITES Secretariat websites.
The latest Guidance Version 3.0 on timber was launched at CoP 18 in Geneva. It consists of the guidance text and worksheets offered to be used when applying the guidance.
Bioamazon Project
The Bioamazon Project is a regional Project for the Management, Monitoring and Control Wild Fauna and Flora Species Threatened by Trade in ACTO eight Member Countries. It is a financial cooperation agreement between the German government and the Permanent Secretariat of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (PS/ACTO) through the KfW.
The Bioamazon Project provided the translation of the publication “CITES Non-detriment Findings for Timber: A nine-step process to support CITES Scientific Authorities making science-based non-detriment findings (NDFs) for timber/tree species listed in CITES Appendix II. Version 3.0” from its original in English to Portuguese and Dutch languages. A Spanish version is being prepared and will be released on ACTO´s website as soon as possible.
The Bioamazon project will promote and offer a technical assistance to its Member Countries on the elaboration of the non-detriment findings (NDFs) for Cedrela, and the translations of official documents are essential on this processes to support the Amazon countries.
