In summary: All three proposals for sharks and rays need to be adopted: Proposal 42: 2 mako shark species need to be placed on Appendix II (longfin and shortfin) Proposal 43: 6 giant guitarfish species need to be placed on Appendix II Proposal 44: 10 wedgefish species need to be placed on Appendix II So 18 species in all need to be placed on Appendix II at CITES CoP18. Learn the Facts WCS remains concerned that the majority of the global trade in both shark fins, and other products such as meat,...

Sharks and rays are one of the most endangered groups of animals on the planet.There are more than 1,000 species of sharks and rays living today.Approximately 100 species of sharks and rays are regularly traded for their fins and meat.Since 2013, CITES began to list regularly commercially traded species of sharks and rays under the convention’s appendices, mainly under CITES Appendix II, which is about sustainable trade and utilization.There are 18 species up for listing at CITES Cop 18 (a...

Government delegates attending CITES CoP18 (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 18th Conference of the Parties) approved greater trade protections for all nine subspecies of giraffes.

A statement was released today by the Wildlife Conservation Society from CITES CoP18 concerning elephants and ivory.  Said Dr. Susan Lieberman, VP of International Policy for the Wildlife Conservation Society: “The decisions today by the Parties at CITES CoP18 mean it’s status quo for elephants: No international commercial ivory trade is permitted and that is what needs to happen. CITES Parties agreed not to open any ivory trade, and to further call on governments to close their domestic ivory markets."

A statement was issued by the Wildlife Conservation Society concerning the critically endangered saiga antelope staying on Appendix II but now with a zero quota, helping to ensure that international commercial trade will not contribute to further declines of the species and will help range states and other parties combat illegal trade.

The elephant news at CITES CoP18 in Geneva breaks on 8/22/19.

Delegates attending CITES CoP18 (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 18th Conference of the Parties) are being asked to take action to regulate the trade of woolly mammoth ivory.

A statement was issued today at CITES CoP18  (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species 18^th Conference of the Parties) by the Wildlife Conservation Society urging further action to protect the helmeted hornbill. 

A statement was issued today by the Wildlife Conservation Society thanking Sri Lanka and the United States for leading the charge on behalf of songbirds at CITES CoP18  (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Conference of the Parties) underway in Geneva.

Mako sharks, also known as the ‘cheetahs of the sharks,’ are the fastest of all shark species, but they cannot outswim the threat of overfishing in the world’s oceans, say conservation experts from WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) and other groups who applaud plans by government delegates to increase protection for makos and other sharks and rays fishes at CITES, convening this week in Switzerland.