CITES meeting to deal with species 'extinction crisis' New plans
to protect elephants, rhinos and other species will be discussed
at a critical meeting that begins in Bangkok on Sunday.
Delegates will review the convention on the international trade
in endangered species (CITES). Around 35,000 animals and plants
are at present protected by the treaty. But with a global
"extinction crisis" facing many species, this year's meeting is
being described as the most critical in its history. The CITES
agreement was signed in Washington in March 1973 in an attempt
to regulate the burgeoning trade in wild flora and fauna. End
Quote Carlos Drews WWF Thailand should grab the spotlight and
shut down these markets that are fuelling the poaching of
elephants in Africa” It entered into force in 1975 and experts
say that legitimate global imports of wildlife products are now
worth more than $300bn (£200bn) a year. The convention works by
licensing commercial trade in species. The process is meant to
be governed by the scienti