Latest CITES Stories

The UN wildlife trade body withdrew protection Thursday for the cold-water porbeagle shark, reversing the only decision made during the 13-day conference to protect high-value marine species. At the final plenary session in Doha, the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) denied Appendix II status for the porbeagle, which is fished mainly for its meat. This is a victory for Japan and China, who opposed all of seven proposals related to commercial marine species....

African gorillas and great apes are facing a number of issues that threaten their existence, and could reduce their numbers substantially by 2030, according to a March 24 report.The study, entitled "The Last Stand of the Gorilla - Environmental Crime and Conflict" and presented at the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting in Qatar, has concluded that illegal logging, mining, poaching, and illness are forcing gorillas closer to extinction while...

Thursday, the last day of the UN wildlife meeting in Doha, could be the turnaround day for the protection of elephants and two species of sharks that were earlier disregarded by delegates at the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The final plenary session of CITES validates decisions made over the previous 12 days, but a motion to reopen the debate supported by a third of the delegates could lead to a new vote, giving hope for conservationists. The...

The UN wildlife trade group shot down bids on Tuesday to regulate trade on two species of sharks threatened with extinction from overfishing, setting off backfire from angry conservation activists. Millions of hammerhead and white-tip sharks are taken from their ocean habitats every year, mainly for the growing demand for sharkfin soup, a delicacy in Chinese communities around the world. The Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) rejected the US-sponsored...

The United Nations has rejected proposed one-time ivory sales, giving conservationists a rare victory during the annual Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Doha, Qatar.Tanzania and Zambia had both requested permission to sell stockpiled ivory. Tanzania asked for permission to sell 200,000 pounds to Japan and China, but their request was denied by the U.N. for fear it would contribute to an already existing rise in poaching. Shortly thereafter, Zambia withdrew a...

DOHA, Qatar, March 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Stricter measures to control the illegal trade in wildlife over the Internet were endorsed today at the 15(th) Conference of the Parties (CoP 15) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meeting in Doha. "Trade over the Internet poses one of the greatest threats to wildlife and undermines the CITES treaty itself," said IFAW's Paul Todd. "It is a vast global network that provides the cover...

DOHA, Qatar, March 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Parties voted to continue protection for Tanzanian elephants by retaining their listing on Appendix I, and rejecting a request for a one-off ivory sale today at the 15th Conference of the Parties (CoP 15) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meeting in Doha. "Fighting to save these elephants paid off today with Parties taking note of the science demonstrating that Tanzanian elephants...

A UN agency shot down a proposal made to monitor the trade of declining stocks of valuable corals just days after nixing a ban on bluefin tuna, a move that has many fearing that the body may not be able to keep a close eye on high-value species. The Conference on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting in Doha rejected the proposal despite an 85 percent decline in global harvests of precious red and pink coral since 1980. Environmentalists condemned the decision, warning...

WASHINGTON, March 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has appealed to President Obama and the US government to support Kenya, the birthplace of Obama's father, which is leading efforts by 20 African nations to maintain elephant protection and oppose ivory trade at the CITES meeting in Doha. On Monday delegates will vote on whether to "downlist" elephant populations from Zambia and Tanzania from the protected level of "Appendix 1" to enable resumed...

DOHA, Qatar, March 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ignoring the plight of polar bears, CITES Parties gathered in Doha at the 15th Conference of the Parties (CoP 15) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) voted to hasten the polar bear's demise by failing to support an uplisting to Appendix I which would have banned all international commercial trade in the bears and their parts. "CITES parties have turned their backs on this iconic...