A strict limit of 562 to 851 should be set on the number of mahogany trees allowed to be cut down annually for export, recommended Peru’s Environment Ministry in a recently published report.
The report issued by Peru’s fledgling Environment Ministry urges the Agriculture Ministry to set a National Mahogany Exportation Quota for 2009. In all of Latin America, Peru exports the largest amount of mahogany per year, daily La Republic reported in its Saturday edition.
Peru is a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
Annually, international wildlife trade is estimated to be worth billions of dollars and to include hundreds of millions of plant and animal specimens. The trade is diverse, ranging from live animals and plants to a vast array of wildlife products derived from them, including food products, exotic leather goods, wooden musical instruments, timber, tourist curios and medicines.
According to CITES, “levels of exploitation of some animal and plant species are high and the trade in them, together with other factors, such as habitat loss, is capable of heavily depleting their populations and even bringing some species close to extinction. Many wildlife species in trade are not endangered, but the existence of an agreement to ensure the sustainability of the trade is important in order to safeguard these resources for the future.”
Although CITES is legally binding on the Parties, it does not substitute national legislation. Rather, it provides a framework to be respected by each Party, which has to adopt its own domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is implemented at the national level.
Peru’s Swietenia macrophylla, or mahogany, has excellent workability, and is very durable, making it a highly valued wood for crafting furniture and musical instruments.
