Why in news?  The CITES trade database has recorded 28 incidents of red sanders confiscation, seizure and specimens from the wild being exported from India.

Highlights

• A report fact sheet was prepared by TRAFFIC, a global wildlife trade monitoring organisation .
• These consignments were exported to China (the highest), and followed by Hong Kong , Singapore and the United States of America from 2016 to 2020,
• Its heartwood is in demand in both domestic and international markets and is used to make furniture and handicrafts, while the red dye obtained from the wood is used as a colouring agent in textiles and medicines.
• TRAFFIC also highlighted the need for forests within the species’ geographical range to be declared as “high conservation areas”.

About Red Sander

• Red Sanders or red sandalwood, is an endemic tree species with distribution restricted to the Eastern Ghats of India.
• The species found in Andhra Pradesh and growing up to a height of 10 to 15 metres is reported to be one of India’s most exploited tree species
• Listed under Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act and categorised as Endangered as per the IUCN Red List
• Red sanders is a very slow-growing tree species that attains maturity in natural forests after 25-40 years.
• Under the foreign trade policy of India, the import of Red Sanders is prohibited, while export is restricted.

About CITES

• It is an international agreement between governments, whose aim is to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.