COMMENT OPPORTUNITY: Canada proposes change in CITES listing for Peregrine Falcon

[Laura Bies]

Canada has proposed that the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) be down-listed from CITES Appendix I to Appendix II. The Peregrine Falcon, which is widely distributed globally with a steady population, was first listed under CITES in 1977.

Species protected under Appendix I of CITES are those that are found to be threatened with extinction and are afforded the highest level of protection under the convention, including a prohibition on commercial trade. Appendix II includes species that are not currently threatened with extinction, but may become so without trade limitations.

The proposal will be discussed at the next CITES Conference of the Parties, which will take place in Uzbekistan in late 2025.

Canada also proposed down-listing the falcon in 2016, but concerns were brought forth that other parties to the convention felt that not enough consultation with other parties was done. That proposal was voted down. To ensure that all interested parties can weigh in on the current proposal, Canada is asking for feedback from CITES parties and others interested organizations and individuals, by email with the subject line “Notification 2024/113 on Peregrine Falcon” to cites-science@ec.gc.ca by 30 November 2024.

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