ESTA UK Position Statement: Pernambuco and CITES

ESTA UK strongly opposes the proposal to move Pernambuco (Caesalpinia echinata) from CITES Appendix II to Appendix I at the November 2025 meeting. Pernambuco is the wood used in almost every professional string bow — essential for both teaching and performance.

An Appendix I listing would make international travel with bows virtually unworkable, restrict the buying and selling of bows, and create serious barriers for young musicians accessing professional-quality equipment. It would also undermine more than 50 years of successful conservation and planting programmes in Brazil, by making plantation-grown wood ineligible for permits and removing incentives for landowners to continue planting trees.

The current Appendix II listing already provides robust protection for Pernambuco while supporting sustainable cultivation and legal use. Moving to Appendix I would not stop illegal logging but would harm musicians, educators, and students across the UK.

We urge all ESTA members — and every UK string player — to email DEFRA at Correspondence.Section@defra.gov.uk by Thursday 25 September 2025 to oppose the proposed change and support sustainable solutions.

Here is a suggested email template:

Subject: Opposition to Proposed CITES I Listing of Pernambuco

Dear DEFRA Correspondence Team,

I am writing as an ESTA UK member and professional string player/teacher to express my opposition to the proposal to move Pernambuco (Caesalpinia echinata) from CITES Appendix II to Appendix I.

Pernambuco bows are essential to my work as a musician and educator. If the listing is upgraded to Appendix I, it would:

Make international travel with bows almost impossible due to constant permit requirements.
Restrict the buying and selling of bows, creating barriers for students and professionals alike.
Undermine more than 50 years of successful conservation and plantation schemes in Brazil, by removing incentives for landowners to continue planting trees.
Appendix II already provides strong protection for Pernambuco while supporting sustainable use and conservation. An Appendix I listing would not stop illegal logging but would place disproportionate burdens on musicians, makers, and teachers who rely on legal, sustainable wood.

I urge the UK delegation to oppose this proposal and instead support policies that promote conservation through sustainable planting and responsible trade.

Yours sincerely,[Your Full Name][Optional: Professional role / ESTA UK Member]