Zanzibar Saif, Should I restore?

fearn · 17th April 2012, 02:57 AM

Hi All,

(obligatory disclaimer: I am not a lawyer).

I'm not sure where ray skin currently falls on the CITES list (it appears that it is still unregulated), but one reason I'd definitely push for using leather from a common species is that such a scabbard will go through customs without trouble.

The issue here is that most shark and ray fisheries are unsustainable, and some species are already rare enough to be listed under CITES, whatever their legal status. Sawfish bills have been listed under CITES (sawfish are shark relatives), and there's no reason to think that more species won't follow them onto the list. Given the explosion in both poaching and the international wildlife trade, I suspect that we're going to see the CITES list grow substantially in the coming decade.

This is unfortunate no matter where you fall on the conservationist spectrum. It means that people who work with wildcrafted materials (such as the leather on scabbards) may want to pay attention to population trends in the species they are using, so that they don't inadvertently create a piece that can't leave the country they currently live in.

Hope this helps,

F

17th April 2012, 02:57 AM	#6
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Hi All, (obligatory disclaimer: I am not a lawyer). I'm not sure where ray skin currently falls on the CITES list (it appears that it is still unregulated), but one reason I'd definitely push for using leather from a common species is that such a scabbard will go through customs without trouble. The issue here is that most shark and ray fisheries are unsustainable, and some species are already rare enough to be listed under CITES, whatever their legal status. Sawfish bills have been listed under CITES (sawfish are shark relatives), and there's no reason to think that more species won't follow them onto the list. Given the explosion in both poaching and the international wildlife trade, I suspect that we're going to see the CITES list grow substantially in the coming decade. This is unfortunate no matter where you fall on the conservationist spectrum. It means that people who work with wildcrafted materials (such as the leather on scabbards) may want to pay attention to population trends in the species they are using, so that they don't inadvertently create a piece that can't leave the country they currently live in. Hope this helps, F