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With Turkmenistan set to join CITES, wildlife trade regulation in Central Asia gets a boost

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Turkmenistan is set to join the global wildlife trade convention as of January, in a move that could bolster conservation efforts in Central Asia. This makes Turkmenistan the 185th party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and the last country in Central Asia to join. “Turkmenistan is ready for active cooperation within the framework of CITES at both the regional and international levels,” Babanyyazov Charygeldi, the minister of environmental protection, said in a press release announcing the country’s accession. CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero said the move “underscores the Central Asia region’s commitment to CITES implementation”. For Turkmenistan, joining CITES helps build capacity for enforcement authorities, including customs and border agencies, to detect illegal wildlife trade and properly handle live specimens when they’re seized. In addition, it will now be able to share seizure information with other countries in Central Asia and beyond so they can collectively prevent illegal networks of trade. “As a Party to CITES, Turkmenistan will be eligible to receive technical assistance and other support from the CITES Secretariat in regulating the international trade in CITES-listed species.” a spokesperson for the CITES Secretariat said in an email to Mongabay, explaining the benefits of joining. On the country’s part, it’s obligated to enforce CITES resolutions and decisions designed to address wildlife crime. The steppe tortoise is often traded in the thousands across the borders for pet trade, say conservationists. Image courtesy of Yuriy75 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). Tatjana…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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