The proposal to remove the bobcat (Lynx rufus) from the list of species of wildlife regulated in the international trade was rejected by the Parties reviewing proposals at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP15) to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), according to a release by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
The United States introduced the proposal to remove the bobcat from Appendix II listing, which regulates their international trade.
The parties participated in considerable debate and there were divergent points of view on the proposal, including a strong showing of support by Canada which shares management of Lynx rufus with the U.S.
Opposition to the proposal focused on issues concerning the possible impact to illegal trade of other listed spotted cats due to their similarity of appearance. The final vote in the Committee was 53 in support, 46 opposed and 15 abstentions. The final decision will be made by the plenary session of the CoP15 on the final day of the conference. Typically, that vote follows the recommendation of the Committee.
The United States held a workshop in Brussels in 2008, to work with the European Union to resolve concerns over the similarity of appearance issue concerning the bobcat and other endangered spotted cats. The United States also developed a draft identification guide to assist wildlife law enforcement officers in identifying Lynx rufus from other protected spotted cats. The United States pointed out that bobcat populations in the U.S. have been managed sustainably by state wildlife agencies for over 30 years and are not detrimentally affected by commercial trade. In fact, populations are increasing and recent surveys demonstrate that the population in the United States is between 1.7 and 2.6 million.
