In drafting its national CITES law, St. Lucia started with model legislation prepared by the CITES Secretariat. In order to engage the wide range of governmental offices who are essential to the effective implementation of CITES, St. Lucia convened a working group made up of representatives from the Fisheries Department, Forestry Department, Biodiversity Office, Customs and Excise, Department of Agriculture, Veterinary Services, Quarantine Services, and Department of Commerce to tailor the law to the specific legal, institutional, and social context of St. Lucia. The Attorney General’s legal drafting office was the lead collaborating agency with the Fisheries Department.
After a long and instructive process that saw more than 10 iterations of the draft Act, St. Lucia is poised to formally adopt the legislation in 2006. Even before St. Lucia’s draft Act was completed, the CITES Secretariat used it as a model for other States around the world needing assistance in drafting implementing legislation, since St. Lucia’s version deals with many practical issues.
For more, contact Mrs. Dawn Pierre-Nathoniel at +758-4684141/36 or deptfish@slumaffe.org