The Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (abbreviated to WA or CITES)
The populations of many wild animal and plant species are threatened by international trade. CITES has regulated trade in these endangered animals and plants and their products since 1975. Which species are protected is determined by the Member States at the conferences; there are currently more than 37,000.
The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation is responsible for the implementation of CITES in Germany. It provides detailed information on basic and special topics.
The leather produced by our members is based on the hides and skins of farm animals, i.e. cattle, sheep, goats. However, there are also tanneries that process hides from kangaroos or from yaks. In addition, there are tanneries that process the hides and skins of other species, for example, the skins of zoo animals.
What is permissible and what is not can rapidly become confusing. In this case, some animal rights organizations contribute positively towards animal and species protection. Others simply confuse with their actions and give the impression that virtually everything is forbidden.
We provide objective information.
Protection of species: The question that arises very quickly: Is it allowed? The hides and skins of protected species are subject to a great many regulations. That is also to the good. You can access more detail here:
The International Reptile Leather Association (IRV)
Since the Offenbach-based International Reptile Leather Association was founded in 1972, its approaches to solutions have led to an efficient endangered species protection identification method. After several years of developmental work, the pioneering result could be presented with the endangered species protection tag, which gained (and still enjoys) considerable respect. The sponsor of the reptile leather ID system is the non-profit Reptile Species Protection Association, founded in 1985, whose members include important leather suppliers, manufacturers and processors, as well as retailers selling exotic leather.
The reptile leather goods ID system with the endangered species protection tag, recognized since 1987 by the German federal authorities as proof of legality for goods complying fully with the endangered species protection law, has proven effective in practice as reliable alternative to the CITES proof regulation.
