November 18, 2003
Archived May 14, 2004

Subject: Lifting of Trade Restrictions on CITES-Listed Wildlife from Fiji

Background: On October 31, 2003, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received notice from the CITES Secretariat that Fiji failed to adopt required regulatory measures, develop appropriate coral export quotas, and satisfactorily implement and enforce the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) upon import, export, and re-export.

Upon receipt of this information, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service implemented a trade ban on CITES species from Fiji effective October 31, 2003.

On November 7, 2003 the CITES Secretariat received information that Fiji has now fulfilled its commitment to create regulations and presently has legislation for implementing the Convention. Fiji has also provided final details of its coral export quotas. The Secretariat has verified these quotas and published them on the CITES website.

Action: Effective immediately, the trade ban on CITES species from Fiji has been lifted. The United States will allow the import, export, and the re-export of CITES species with an origin of Fiji. This bulletin rescinds the bulletin dated October 31, 2003.

Contact:
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Office of Law Enforcement
703-358-1949 703-358-2271 (fax)