Global trade rules against extinction: Do they work?

Humanity is changing nature at an unprecedented rate. The numbers of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles have decreased by almost 70% since 1970, according to a report by the conservation NGO, World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

This mass extinction is caused by the destruction of natural habitats, environmental pollution, agriculture, global warming and the trade of wild animals and plants.

The Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was created to protect almost 40,000 species of animal and plant through international trade restrictions. CITES was negotiated in 1973 and in the intervening years, almost every country in the world has joined the convention.

Every three years, government representatives meet to discuss existing and new trade restrictions in an effort to stop species extinction. This year's convention in Panama has focused on the protection of almost 600 animal and plant species.

Trade with ivory remains forbidden

Elephants are among the species with the highest protection status. The international ivory trade has been banned since 1989, but according to WWF, poachers still illegally kill some 20,000 elephants in Africa every year. Some African countries lack the resources to prevent this from happening.

Poaching could make some elephant populations go extinct, with African savanna and forest elephants particularly at risk. 

Yet in parts of southern Africa, local elephant populations have managed to recover, which has led some countries to request a reintroduction of the ivory trade. It is unlikely this year's CITES conference in Panama will produce a majority vote to lift the ban on ivory export.

The population of white rhinoceroses in Namibia has also been able to rebound. The animals are now allowed to be traded for conservation purposes in their historical habitat in Africa. The selling of rhino horn, however, remains forbidden.

More protection for sharks and rays?

Shark and ray fins are regarded as a delicacy by many people in Asia. According to estimates by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 70 million sharks die every year as a result. Their numbers are also falling due to overfishing, with one third of the more than 1,200 shark species facing extinction. 

A preliminary decision at the CITES conference saw a majority of states agree that 90% of traded shark and ray species should be protected. That would apply to 54 breeds of basic sharks, six hammerhead and 37 guitarfish species.

These animals are supposed to be added to the so-called appendix II of CITES, meaning trade in sharks and rays would only be allowed in regions with a healthy population. Each country would be responsible for reviewing local populations and handing out export permits. 

Strict trade prohibition for especially endangered species

More than 1,000 animal and plant species are threatened with immediate extinction, according to CITES, which is why they have a special protection status.  Among them are gorillas and chimpanzees, as well as pangolins, pandas, parrots, snakes, chameleons and sea turtles. Endangered plants under special protection include cacti, cypresses and orchids.

Wild animals and plants under the highest protection status can no longer be commercially traded, but require export and import permits which certify their legal origin.

Big cats such as leopards, lynx, lions, jaguars, pumas and tigers are already under special protection, but tigers are still illegally poached and traded, according to a recent WWF study.

Tiger skin is illegally sold as rugs, tiger teeth and bones as lucky charms or for medicinal purposes. According to the WWF study, so-called tiger farms are involved in this outlawed trade, especially in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

WWF is demanding that countries introduce harsher penalties for smuggling and poaching tigers. The conservation organization also wants the closure of illegal wild animal markets and tougher actions against tiger farms. They hope for respective decisions to be made at the next CITES meeting. 

Species conservation needs more than trade restrictions

The main culprit for species extinction in oceans is fishing, and only clear trade restrictions can stop that.

CITES is also important for animal and plant species on land to prevent them from going extinct.

An export prohibition managed to protect vicugna, which are similar to alpacas, in South America from eradication. They are hunted for their soft fur and their population had decreased to just 10,000 animals. Today, they number around half a million animlas and are no longer considered endangered.  

But the most devastating cause of species extinction is the destruction of natural habitats, especially due to deforestation, industrial agriculture, environmental toxins and global warming. CITES has not yet been able to stop these threats through trade prohibitions.

This article was originally published in German.