It was facing this scenario that 21 nations in 1973 signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to establish regulations for international trade in endangered wildlife. Ninety-six countries have joined the organization to date.
就在這些背景下，一九七三年，廿一個國家在華盛頓簽署成立了「瀕臨絕種野生動植物貿易公約組織」（CITES），製定瀕臨絕種野生動植物之國際貿易規則（華盛頓公約），目前已有九十六個國家加入該組織。