[NHCOLL-L:2901] FW: CITES permits

[Diane Gutenkauf]

This discussion has been bouncing around on the Registrar's list and I
thought it might be useful here. 

Diane Gutenkauf

-----Original Message-----
From: Registrars Committee of the AAM [mailto:RCAAM at SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU]
On Behalf Of Sally Shelton
Sent: Friday, December 09, 2005 12:15 PM
To: RCAAM at SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU
Subject: Re: CITES permits

This time lag is normal, or even slightly better than normal. I wouldn't
consider it a delay, but rarther a normal part of the planning process
that should be factored into the planning timeline from the beginning.
And I'd factor in a minimum of 120 days, and I'd tell my curators to
make it 6 months. (In fact, I do.)

USFWS is desperately understaffed and overworked, and approval of
applications is not automatic. As soon as you become aware of parts from
listed species that are part of your transaction, you should start the
process. I've found that FWS offices are in general approachable and
helpful.

If you qualify to be listed as a registered CITES institution, you can
get a Certificate of Scientific Exchange, which will eliminate this
tedious process of getting one-time permits every time you ship--as long
as you are transacting with another CITES-registered institution.
Unfortunately, a COSE won't help if you're registered but your
transactor is not.

Don't look for shortcuts to be coming up any time soon, no matter how
good your cause is. In fact, look for increasing complexity. If you are
shipping anything at all with any kind of bird parts, for example,
including feathers, you may also have to deal with USDA-APHIS (part of
which is under Homeland Security now), CDC restrictions on countries
embargoed because of bird flu, and the regular threatened species
provisos. Also be aware that any shipment of CITES-listed materials must
include the scientific name (insofar as can be determined), common name
(ditto) and country of origin of the specimens (not the shipment) for
all wildlife parts and products included, and this must be in the
paperwork on the outside of the box.

And tell your shipper/broker about CITES issues from the beginning. Make
sure that you know who is going to file the 3-177 declaration with USFWS
when specimens come in. Some have to be filed immediately at the port,
some can be filed by you within 180 days, depending on the protected
status of the species involved. We are finding that brokers and shippers
are charging for this routinely with every transaction, but that only a
few of those transactions actually required the broker to file.

Welcome to my world! For more information, please join us at PERMIT-L,
or contact me offline.





Sally Y. Shelton
Collections Officer
Room 425, MRC 106
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
P. O. Box 37012
Washington, D. C. 20013-7012

phone (202) 633-0835
email SHELTONS at si.edu

List owner, PERMIT-L

>>> ssteckline at ASIANART.ORG 12/09/05 11:51 AM >>>
Listservers:

If you are coordinating international traveling exhibitions with
endangered species, such as ivory and have applied for CITES recently I
have a question for you.

We have been having complicated delays in receiving our permits from US
Fish and Wildlife, both for loans out and loans in.  Have others been
sharing in this stressful aggravation and are there any solutions to my
dilemma?  They are now saying that the processing will take around 90
days, which is pretty much the same length as most exhibitions.

Please feel free to contact me on or offlist.

Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

Sharon Steckline
Senior Registrar
Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA  94102

ssteckline at asianart.org
(415) 581-3673
(415) 581-4715 (fax)