CITES COP 16: What is your country doing?

by guest blogger What are people doing here, anyway? Day 2 of CITES COP 16 was *eventful*. I'm going to try to make more targeted posts from now on, and I got a great idea for one this morning when I was chatting with one of my friends from the USA, who had some questions for me: Friend: "Are delegates deciding what to bring back to their countries in these meetings?" Me: "What do you mean?"...

CITES COP 16: Opening and Plenary, Happy 40th, CITES!

by guest blogger The opening ceremony was quite a spectacle. To summarize very briefly and quite paraphrased: Prince William: "We can reverse these trends. We can make a difference" (via video chat) Oystein Stokersen (Chair of CITES Standing Committee): "Must involve communities dependent on resources being managed in a sustainable manner" Achim Steiner (UNEP Executive Director): "It is easy...

CITES COP 16: Shark Press Conference

by guest blogger This morning, the European Union held a press conference to discuss the marine proposals to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES)--recommendations to list a number of shark species and manta rays under Appendix II. What is CITES? The primary goal of CITES is to regulate international wildlife trade of species and to protect them...

Earth in Brackets is reporting from CITES COP16

Earth in Brackets is reporting from CITES COP16! Follow us here as well as on facebook and twitter for information on the negotiations on the international trade in endangered species! Parties are coming together to discuss proposals on issues concerning transport of musical instruments (often made from rare woods), the international trade in timber, and  proposals on the statuses of sharks,...