VZCZCXYZ0021
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMD #0853 1291259
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091259Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2450

UNCLAS MADRID 000853 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR OES/ETC (ROWENA WATSON) AND EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ETRD KSCA SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN ON U.S. CITES COP 14 PRIORITIES 
 
REF: A. STATE 57912 
 
     ¶B. STATE 59536 
 
ESTHOFF made reftel points May 7 to Environment Ministry 
Biodiversity Deputy Director General Manuel Calderon, urging 
Spain to support USG priorities at the 14th Conference of 
States Parties (COP) to the Convention on International Trade 
in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).  The 
following outline of Spanish views is linked to the USG 
priorities delineated in reftels. 
 
--  Spain does not/not support the U.S. proposal to delete 
Bobcat from CITES Appendix II.  Spain believes that the skins 
of its endangered Iberian Lynx closely resemble those of U.S. 
bobcat and would thus oppose the U.S. proposal based on the 
CITES "look alike" principle.  Calderon said there was a 
consensus EU position to oppose the U.S. proposal. 
 
--  Spain and the EU will join the U.S. in supporting the 
Kenyan proposal to list Sawfish in CITES Appendix I. 
 
--  Spain and the EU will join the U.S. in supporting the 
listing of all pink and red corals in CITES Appendix II, but 
will favor a personal effects exemption for tourists 
purchasing a limited number of small coral-based souvenirs. 
 
--  Spain and the EU support the listing of Banggai 
cardinalfish in CITES Appendix II. 
 
--  Spain supports the German/EU proposals to list Spiny 
Dogfish and Porbeagle in CITES Appendix II. 
 
--  Spain will join the U.S. in opposing the Chinese proposal 
to authorize the trade in farm-raised tigers. 
 
--  Spain supports the referral of CITES Document 36 on 
Appendix II export quotas to a working group.  Spain and the 
EU support the Document 36 proposal in general, but will seek 
several clarifications via the working group that will likely 
be established. 
Aguirre