§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will propose the inclusion of the basking shark in Appendix II of CITES; and if he will make a statement; [65354]
187W(2) if he will set out the current timetable relating to CITES, indicating the deadlines for extending inclusion to the basking shark; [65342]
(3) if he will make a statement on the removal of the EU reservation in respect of the Bern Convention's listing of basking sharks in the Mediterranean; [65370]
(4) if he will make a statement on the impact of the Barcelona Convention on the status of the basking shark. [65369]
§ Mr. MealeThe next CITES Conference is due to be held from 10 to 20 April 2000. The text of proposals to amend the appendices has to be communicated to the CITES Secretariat at least 150 days before the meeting, ie by 12 November 1999.
My Department is giving active consideration to the case for including the basking shark on Appendix II of CITES. A proposal prepared by Wildlife and Countryside Link has recently been sent to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee for their assessment as the Government's scientific advisers.
The UK is not a Party to the Barcelona Convention. The European Community reservation in respect of addition of the basking shark to Appendix II of the Bern Convention is due to be reconsidered when the Natura 2000 network is completed and there is a prospect of amending the annexes to the Habitats Directive.