NEWS – CITES has relaxed regulations on agarwood export, benefiting farmers in Northeast India.

HIGHLIGHTS

Details of the CITES Decision

• Inclusion Status: Agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis) is not included in the Review of Significant Trade (RST) by CITES.
• New Export Quota: Effective from April 2024, new quotas for agarwood exports have been set:
  • Agarwood Chips/Powder/Sawdust: 151,080 kg annually.
  • Agarwood Oil: 7,050 kg annually.

Background Information

• CITES Listing: Agarwood has been listed in Appendix II since 1995.
• Non-Detriment Findings (NDF):
  • Study Conducted By: Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
  • Recommendations:
    • Harvest from home gardens, plantations, and leased lands.
    • Prohibition on harvesting from wild populations and protected areas.

Historical Trade Issues

• Informal Trade: Previous export bans led to increased informal trade and higher global prices.
• Illegal Trade: Seizures of over 1.25 tonnes of chips and six liters of oil between 2017 and 2021.

Agarwood Characteristics

• Description: Fragrant resinous wood from Aquilaria trees, formed in response to mold infection.
• Geographical Distribution: Native to South and Southeast Asia.
• Economic Value: High-grade resin can reach up to $100,000 per kilogram.
• Uses: Perfumes, incense, traditional medicine, religious rituals.

Conservation Status

• Artificial Induction: Methods include mechanical wounding, chemical treatments, and fungal inoculation.
• CITES Protection: Listed in Appendix II to regulate trade.

IUCN Status: Aquilaria malaccensis is ‘critically endangered’ with over 80% population decline in the past 150 years due to commercial exploitation