Book Review

 

CITES: Endangered  Species on Stamps

By M.Lokeswara Rao IFS (Retd.)

CITES : Endangered Species on Stamps By M. Lokeswara Rao Pages : 130: paperback Size A5 : Publisher : The Write Order Publications : ISBN : 978-93-5776-681-4 Price :Rs. 1399 : Author can be contacted at email: madirajul@gmail.com Whatsapp :9436215175

"CITES : Endangered Species on Stamps"

Plants and animals are the essential parts of life on the Earth; it is important to conserve them and save them from getting extinct, maintaining their optimal population that helps in enriching the biodiversity or the richness of flora and fauna worldwide. Deforestation or cutting down trees is considered one of the major problems associated with the conservation of plants and animals. 

CITES, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of international trade. It was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The convention was opened for signature in 1973 and CITES entered into force on 1 July 1975.

Its aim is to ensure that international trade (import/export) in specimens of animals and plants included under CITES, does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild. This is achieved via a system of permits and certificates. CITES affords varying degrees of protection to more than 38,000 species.

Over 38,700 species, including roughly 5,950 species of animals and 32,800 species of plants, are protected by CITES against over-exploitation through international trade. They are listed in the three CITES appendices. The species are grouped in the appendices according to how threatened they are by international trade. They include some whole groups, such as primates, cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), sea turtles, parrots, corals, cacti, and orchids.

Since 1993, the CITES Secretariat has worked with the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) to produce an annual series of 12 stamps animals and plants included in Cites Appendices. This series is published in Geneva, New York and Vienna with special Postmarks for First Day Covers.

UNPA has been issuing stamps to celebrate many varied forms of wild fauna and flora, to raise awareness about the multitude of benefits that conservation provides to people.

 

The book "CITES Endangered Species on Stamps" gives details about the CITES convention. There are 360 images of the stamps released by the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) from 1993 to 2023, and stamps with the CITES logo released by Poland, Chile, and Japan for endangered species day and first day covers were shown in the book. A total of 421 philatelic materials were used in the book.

The book gives the following chapters in detail :

1.    Cites Endangered species Stamps

2.    CITES Endangered Species Stamps from 1993-2023

3.    Endangered Species Day

4.    New Biodiversity Framework

The book is very comprehensive with technical details. It will be an asset for Foresters, Naturalists, Wildlife lovers, environmentalists, Students and Thematic stamp collectors especially those making specialised collection on endangered species of flora and fauna. I recommend this book for libraires of Colleges, Environment, Wildlife and Forest Institutes as well as for stamp lovers as the author has explained endangered species through number of postage stamps issued on CITES endangered species.

 

About the Author

M Lokeswara Rao worked as a Civil Servant, belongs to the 1983 batch of Indian Forest service and retired as Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, in Nagaland, India. He has held different positions in the Government of India, Worked as Advisor Green Highways, National Highways Authority India, Ministry of Surface Transport, and Govt. of India and as Director (Protect Our Species), and Earth Day Network., Environment Education from Jordan college, Glasgow UK and from the International Centre for Conservation Education Guiting Power, Cheltenham, UK and Policy studies from Syracuse University USA.

Worked on various projects for Forest Development agencies, Green India Mission, Wildlife Habitat projects, species recovery programme of Amur Falcon, He has organised many environmental awareness programmes. UNESCO Consultant for identification of Biosphere Reserves in Nagaland. Consultant with Community Forestry International USA. Involved in various documentaries making namely Amur Falcon, Elephants etc. He received the biodiversity award, Tiger land film Festival for his work on Amur Falcon.

His hobbies are Painting and Philately.  He exhibited his painting The Buddha Great in New Delhi, Bangalore and Various parts of the country.  He received a number of awards in National and International Philatelic Exhibitions for his exhibits Orchids, Buddhism, Buddhist Mudras, Post office postal cancellation on Penny Red, Lady slipper Orchids, Buddhist Dances and for his literature exhibit book  “Buddhism on Stamps” and for his different articles appeared in different magazines in India and abroad.

He authored different research papers and authored books “Plant Biodiversity of World ``Buddhism on Stamps”, “Himalayan Birds on Stamps” and “CITES Endangered Species on Stamps “based on Philately and “Conservation through Forest Conservation Act”. His articles appeared in different magazines and Newspapers in India and abroad. His articles on philately appeared in National and International Magazines and Newspapers.

 

 - Jeevan Jyoti