The undersigned organizations representing the music industry are pleased to contribute to the survey carried out by the CITES Secretariat about the implementation of the exemptions contained in Annotation #15 for finished musical instruments, parts, and accessories, and the conservation implications thereof, pursuant to decision 18.321 made at the CoP18, in August 2019.

For all the musicians whose jobs rely on their ability to travel, and particularly for orchestras, ensembles and music groups, the end of non-commercial exemption in Annotation #15 would create acute difficulties and uncertainties.

According to our data, less than 3% of the global consumption of Dalbergia is used for the making of musical instruments. In 2018, the global music industry consumed 6,000 trees to manufacture both oboes and clarinets. This figure dropped down to 1,500 in 2019.

Instrumental manufacturing is, therefore, a small sector representing only a tiny part of the Dalbergia/Bubinga exploited worldwide. Out of 250 existing species, no more than ten species of Dalbergia are used for musical instrument manufacturing.