The biennial meeting held here last month for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) featured action on several high-profile Latin American species. But the approval of a proposal by Nicaragua and Guatemala to list bigleaf mahogany, a tree species all but wiped out in many countries, captured the greatest attention. Bigleaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), found in dwindling numbers in southern Mexico, Central America and the Amazon rainforests, now will be listed in Cites Appendix II. That toughens controls on the wood, obligating countries with the last reserves of mahogany to ensure that exploitation of the tree is ecologically sustainable and meets the requirements of Cites export permits. Brazil and, surprisingly, Bolivia—which in a Cites meeting two years ago had supported... [Log in to read more]
