2012. Review of Significant Trade - Cites

Pandinus imperator
in outdoor enclosures covered with vegetation and surrounded by a cement wall, and
experienced high mortality levels (Ineich, 2006).
During his 2004 visit to Benin, Ineich (2006) expressed concerns about the erroneous use of
source codes. He considered that while ranching was possible and desirable in the country,
there remained a lot of work to do to train both exporters and local CITES authorities in this
regard. The author also noted that he could not evaluate any subsequent progress as he was
unable to visit again in 2006 (Ineich, 2006)
Ineich (2006) stated further: “In Benin, quotas are fixed on an empirical basis by the CITES
authorities by combining the production capacities of all facilities (according to the number
of breeding females) and the potential trade needs and adding 20 per cent for the fraction of
juveniles having to be released back into the wild (ranching) and 10 per cent for egg and
juvenile mortality. Those quotas are then distributed amongst exporters according to their
breeding stock. No reliable scientific information is available for the CITES-listed species
traded from Benin; considerable work remains to be done and the country will never
succeed without outside help. We can therefore be concerned about the significant 2006
quota increases made by this country.” Ineich (2006) also noted that exporters in Benin
recognised that the quotas from the country were excessive and should be reduced and
adjusted to the reality of the trade.
Ineich (2006) considered that Benin could not guarantee the sustainability of the trade in
scorpions and that the situation in the country did not show signs of improvement.
Consequently, Ineich (2006) recommended that a ranching system similar to that in Togo
should be established.
CÔTE D’IVOIRE
Distribution in range State: Occurrence in Côte d’Ivoire reported by Lourenço and
Cloudsley-Thompson (1996; 1999), Kovarik (2002), Prendini (2004) and The CITES
Management Authority of Côte d’Ivoire (J. Zouzou pers. comm. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011).
The maps in Lourenço and Cloudsley-Thompson (1996) and Prendini (2004) indicated that
its range extends throughout the country, except the northern-most areas.
Reported to occur in the Lamto ecological station, central-southern Côte d’Ivoire (Lourenço,
1986; Lourenco and Cloudsley-Thompson, 1999) and in Banco forest (Lourenco and
Cloudsley-Thompson, 1999).
Population trends and status: The species was found under logs and dead trees in Banco
forest, where females were a mean length of 7.6 cm and produced a mean of 35 offspring.
They were also found under dead “Rônier” palms in the Lamto savanna where mean length
of females was 5.8 cm and the mean number of offspring was 15 (Lourenco and Cloudsley-
Thompson, 1999). The CITES Management Authority of Côte d’Ivoire indicated that no data
were available for P. imperator in the country (J. Zouzou pers. comm. to UNEP-WCMC,
2011).
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