USARK Counsel, David A. Garcia, attended the 78th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee, the final meeting before the 20th Conference of the Parties (CoP), which will take place from November 24 to December 5, 2025, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Key topics at the meeting included the production and trade of several herp species, such as:
- Ball python (Python regius) in Africa
- Red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas); Green-and-black poison dart frog (Dendrobates auratus); Strawberry poison frog(Oophaga pumilio) in Nicaragua
- Egyptian tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni) in Egypt
- Russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii) in Uzbekistan
Reports on these species were published and will be further examined at the upcoming CoP. These trade reviews, conducted every three years on selected species, help ensure that international trade remains sustainable and compliant with CITES. If any USARK members are interested in accessing these reports, please reach out (info@usark.org), and we can provide them.
Looking ahead to CoP, there is an expectation that proposals to list or uplist certain reptile species may arise, as reptiles continue to be a focus for the Convention. However, at this time, the U.S. does not appear inclined to introduce any proposals, and therefore, we must wait to see what proposals are made by other countries.
USARK will be sending delegates to CoP and will continue to share updates as they become available.
David A. Garcia
