Annually, international wildlife trade is estimated to be worth billions of dollars and to include hundreds of millions of plant and animal specimens. The trade is diverse, ranging from live animals and plants to a vast array of wildlife products derived from them, including food products, exotic leather goods, wooden musical instruments, timber, tourist curios and medicines. Levels of exploitation of some animal and plant species are high and the trade in them, together with other factors, such as habitat loss, is capable of heavily depleting their populations and even bringing some species close to extinction. Many wildlife species in trade are not endangered, but the existence of an agreement to ensure the sustainability of the trade is important in order to safeguard these resources for the future. CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. CITES COP17 Conference and Exhibition is currently on the go at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg South Africa. Channel Africa is there, and to tell us about the topics being discussed we have:
John E Scanlon, Secretary General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
Maximiliano Bello, Senior Advisor for the Global Shark Conservation Initiative of the Non Governmental Organisation - PEW Charitable Trusts.
Dr Richard Thomas – From The Wildlife Trade Monitory and Co-ordinating Organisation – TRAFFIC.
Nicci Wright, from the African Pangolin Working Group