Contemporary global situation

Due to the extensive overexploitation of the genuine lignum vitae (Guaiacum officinale) over the past five centuries, it has been officially listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since 1975 (http://www.cites.org/esp/disc /what.shtml).

CITES is the acronym for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which in Spanish is known as the Convención sobre el Comercio Internacional de Especies Amenazadas de Fauna y Flora Silvestres.

CITES is an international agreement between governments, aimed at ensuring that international trade in wild fauna and flora does not threaten their survival.

This classification under Appendix II designates Guaiacum sanctum—commonly known as genuine lignum vitae—as a species at potential risk of extinction. Consequently, its international trade is subject to strict regulation and oversight. Suppliers must obtain the appropriate certification issued by CITES, granted under specific conditions. CITES also maintains detailed records and statistics related to the commercial trade of this species.

Under CITES, species are classified into three appendices—Appendix I, II, and III—based on their level of extinction risk. The inclusion of Guaiacum sanctum (genuine lignum vitae) in Appendix II indicates that, while the species is not currently considered to be facing imminent extinction (which would warrant its placement in Appendix I), it could become endangered if international trade is not strictly regulated. The purpose of its listing in Appendix II is precisely to ensure such control and prevent further decline.

In 1998, the government of the United States of America submitted a proposal to CITES to reclassify Guaiacum sanctum—commonly known as genuine lignum vitae—from Appendix II to Appendix I, citing the critically low number of remaining specimens. Had this proposal been accepted, it would have effectively brought an end to the international trade of this species.

Following the proposal, a study was launched in 2003 to assess the remaining population of Guaiacum sanctum. This initiative received support from the governments of Germany, the United States of America, and Mexico. The findings revealed that in the state of Campeche, Mexico, the population and natural regeneration of genuine lignum vitae were abundant, and that the current rate of logging posed no significant threat to the species. As a result of these findings, the XV meeting of the CITES Plants Committee, held in Geneva, Switzerland, in May 2005, concluded that:

“The findings of this study lead us to conclude that the species is widely distributed throughout southeastern Mexico, with the most abundant populations located in the states of Campeche and Quintana Roo and also present in Oaxaca and Chiapas. These discoveries confirm that the species is not currently at risk of extinction and support its continued listing under Appendix II, to ensure that its use and international trade do not jeopardize its survival.”

Several other countries also expressed their opposition to the proposed reclassification, citing the currently low levels of commercial trade they engage in with Guaiacum sanctum.

It is encouraging to learn that the status of Guaiacum sanctum in Mexico is so favorable. Unfortunately, this is not the case in many other vast regions where, for centuries, the species was exploited to the point of disappearance—or at the very least, driven to the brink of extinction. In these areas, populations have been drastically and critically reduced, particularly with the near absence of large, mature specimens. Given the extremely slow growth rate of Guaiacum sanctum, reversing this situation may take several centuries—if it can be achieved at all.

Guaiacum sanctum as a threatened—or in some cases, endangered—species. Accordingly, they have implemented the appropriate legal protection mechanisms to safeguard its remaining populations.

As a result of this reality, countries such as Costa Rica and El Salvador, as well as the state of Florida (USA), have officially designated