Chief Executive Dr Matt Bond is off to Samarkand in Uzbekistan to take part in the 20th Conference of the Parties for CITES, taking place between 24 November to 5 December 2025.

He’s going courtesy of the European Pet Organization, of which OATA is a member, and he will join Ornamental Fish International (OFI) and other pet-related trade organisations to make interventions on behalf of our industry on topics that will affect the trade.

Watch our social channels for updates during the fortnight of some of the work Matt is doing.

And if you want to know more then check out the meeting’s website page here.

 

What are the hot topics on the agenda and what is the global pet industry position?

Agenda item 37: Possession of specimens of species included in Appendix I

This proposal could have consequences for zoos, aquariums and/or private keepers if they have animals that were acquired pre-listing on the CITES Appendices. Keepers and other institutions could find themselves being penalised despite acting in good faith and complying with laws at the time of acquisition.

Agenda item 57: Review of Resolution Conf. 8.13 (Rev. CoP17) on Use of coded-microchip implants for marking live animals in trade

Small bodied animals – such as fish – are just not suitable for microchipping and this should be reflected in any resolution.

Agenda item 66: Trade in Stony Corals & Trade in asexually produced stony corals

CITES is proposing changes to definitions around stony corals which could have a big effect on how they are traded. While we support a revision of definitions they need to reflect actual practices.

Agenda item 67: Review of CITES provisions related to trade in specimens of animals and plants not of wild source

Current provisions are working against investing in captive-breeding species so a lot more work needs to be done to solve this.

Agenda item 73: Trade in endemic species

Certain parts of the proposal give governments too much power to ban trade in endemic species, even when records of legal acquisition are incomplete or unclear.

Agenda item 92: Marine ornamental fishes

We will resist any calls for listing proposals for marine ornamental fishes until appropriate research and data are available to inform which species might warrant further management.

Agenda item 102: Considering the ‘look-alike’ criterion Annex 2B A of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP17) on Criteria for amendment of Appendices I and II

We welcome the UK’s scientific-led guideline proposal on how ‘lookalike’ species are dealt with when it comes to listing proposals.