CITES
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
International wildlife trade is estimated to be worth billions of dollars annually and includes hundreds of millions of plants and animals that are traded as pets, ornamental plants and wood products, food, leather, tourist curios, trophies, and medicines.
After habitat destruction, exploitation of wild specimens for trade is a main reason for the decline of global biodiversity. The Convention on International Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is one of the most crucial and effective instruments to counter the depletion of wildlife species for trade.
It accords varying degrees of protection to more than 30,000 species of animals and plants that are threatened by overexploitation. With 175 Parties now bound by the Convention, CITES is the largest conservation agreement in existence.
The 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES took place March 13–25, 2010, in Doha, Qatar. Born Free USA was there to fight for animals in need. Below you can read the daily updates and videos that were posted in real time to keep the world updated as to what was happening behind closed conference doors to the world's wildlife.
CITES Blog
Hell-Bent To Save Hellbenders
We Can Help Preserve an All-American Species
There is a good chance you haven’t heard of Cryptobranchids, and a pretty good chance you don’t know what a hellbender is, but you should. It’s an American specialty and it needs our help.
8 Days Until CITES
12 tusks recovered from poachers
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe — Ivory poached in Zimbabwe finds a ready market in Botswana, according to the police.
14 days until CITES
I Thought Ivory Was Taboo
I could have sworn that the consciousness of the world had evolved in the past twenty years so that exploitative items such as fur and ivory were taboo, shunned, and no longer sought after or seen.
Three feet of snow here in Washington, DC has reminded me that fur is still out there, and amazingly, worn with pride (or is it a smirk?). Surely there is a moment when it is donned where the unglamorous ignorant sees her reflection and thinks “I can’t wear this!” Apparently not.
20 days until CITES
Will the future of imperiled species be decided by politics and greed?
On March 13, 2010, delegates from as many as 175 countries, hundreds of observers from nongovernmental organizations such as Born Free USA, members of the press, and others will gather in Doha, Qatar for the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The fight is on!
