From guitars to tusk and tail, animals under threat
Print Edition
From guitars to traditional medicines and from tusk to tail, mankind’s exploitation of the planet’s fauna and flora is putting some of them at risk of extinction.
Representatives of about 180 nations and regions are meeting in Geneva to agree on protections for vulnerable species, taking up issues including the trade in ivory and the demand for shark fin soup.
The World Wildlife Conference on trade in endangered species, known as CITES, which takes place every three years, aims to make sure that global trade in specimens of wild animals and plants doesn’t jeopardize their survival.
The conference opened on Saturday and runs through August 28, with key decisions expected to be finalized in the last two days. It had originally been due to take place in Colombo in May and June but was moved to Geneva after a series of terror attacks in the Sri Lankan capital.
Three months ago, the first comprehensive UN report on biodiversity warned that extinction is looming for over 1 million species of plants and animals. There are growing concerns that policymakers aren’t acting quickly enough to stop it.
“Business, as usual, is no longer an option ... The rate of wildlife extinction is accelerating,” said CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero in her opening remarks to the conference.
“The assessment confirms that nature’s dangerous decline is unprecedented,” Higuero said.
The meeting also comes just days after the Trump administration announced plans to water down the US Endangered Species Act — a message that could echo among attendees at the CITES conference, even if the US move is more about domestic policy than international trade.
CITES bans trade in some products entirely, while permitting international trade in other species provided it doesn’t hurt their numbers in the wild.
China’s retired basketball all-star Yao Ming, who led China’s Olympic team three times and became a WildAid in 2006, signed a pledge to give up shark fin soup. He has appeared in scores of ads appealing to his compatriots to do the same.
Demand is diverse for animal and plant products, prized for their medicinal properties or as pets, culinary delicacies, among other uses.
The CITES logo on products is a highly respected seal of approval that they are legitimate.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
