On September 24th, what is perhaps the most important conservation event of the year began. During the “Conference of the Parties” (COP), members of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species will meet in South Africa to vote on proposals regulating the international trade of endangered species.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is a global wildlife conservation treaty that regulates the international trade of threatened plant and animal species. Thousands of government representatives from the 183 countries participating in CITES will meet in Johannesburg for several weeks to discuss the fates of over 500 species, including elephants, pangolins, sharks and rays.
To protect a species, the conference participants may vote to take one of three steps. For the most serious cases, international commercial trade of a species can be banned entirely. Instead of banning trade completely, participants may require COP nations to guarantee that any trade that does occur does not harm wild populations. Additionally, a country hoping to protect a species within their country may request that other countries aid their efforts through trade agreements.
During the ongoing conference, proposals concerning mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, fish, cephalopods, and plants will be discussed. While a CITES listing is not enough to completely save a species, the resulting regulation or restriction of trade can be a significant step in the conservation of a threatened species.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is a global wildlife conservation treaty that regulates the international trade of threatened plant and animal species. Thousands of government representatives from the 183 countries participating in CITES will meet in Johannesburg for several weeks to discuss the fates of over 500 species, including elephants, pangolins, sharks and rays.
To protect a species, the conference participants may vote to take one of three steps. For the most serious cases, international commercial trade of a species can be banned entirely. Instead of banning trade completely, participants may require COP nations to guarantee that any trade that does occur does not harm wild populations. Additionally, a country hoping to protect a species within their country may request that other countries aid their efforts through trade agreements.
During the ongoing conference, proposals concerning mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, fish, cephalopods, and plants will be discussed. While a CITES listing is not enough to completely save a species, the resulting regulation or restriction of trade can be a significant step in the conservation of a threatened species.
