CITES eases norms for agarwood export; move to benefit lakhs of farmers from the Northeast

• India has successfully prevented the inclusion of agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis) in the Review of Significant Trade (RST) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Highlights:

• The CITES also notified a new export quota of the highly valuable and aromatic resinous wood and oil of the tree from India from April 2024.
• Since agarwood is cultivated in different parts of India, especially in the northeastern States, this development is going to benefit lakhs of farmers in certain districts of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, and Tripura.
• Aquilaria malaccensis was listed in Appendix II of the CITES (a category of species that are not necessarily threatened but whose trade must be controlled) for the first time in 1995 based on India’s proposal at CoP9 in 1994.
• The removal of India from the RST for Aquilaria malaccensis was achieved based on a non-detriment findings (NDFs) study of the plant species by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• The NDF prepared by the BSI suggested that the harvest of plants should be allowed from home, community gardens, plantations on leased/patta lands, private or community plantations, or any other types of small-scale or large-scale plantations.
• However, the NDF added that “harvesting of plants or collection of seeds/seedlings/saplings and other propagules should not be allowed from the existing wild populations or plants in the protected areas and reserve forests”.
• The export quota recommended by the NDF for 2024–2027 for agarwood chips and powder/sawdust is 1,51,080 kg a year and agarwood oil is 7,050 kg a year.
• “The absence of an export quota for a long period and other trade-related restrictions in India caused an increase in informal trade/export of agar chips, oil, powder etc. to the Middle East and other foreign countries. It also caused an increase in costs of agarwood chips and oil in the global market as India is a major agarwood trading nation with which most importing countries have long trade records,” the NDF report said.
• Despite the export ban, the illegal trade of agarwood and its derivatives has continued in India, with more than 1.25 tonne of chips and six liters of oil/derivatives reportedly seized in six States between 2017 and 2021, a report by TRAFFIC.

Prelims Takeaway:

• CITES
• MoEFCC