Wildlife meet opens in S Africa aiming to save species

Thousands of conservationists and top government officials went into talks in Johannesburg today to thrash out international trade regulations on elephant ivory, rhino horn and hundreds of endangered wild animals and plants.

The booming illegal trade of wildlife has put huge pressure on a treaty signed by more than 180 countries - the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

The plight of Africa's rhino and elephants, targeted for their horns and tusks, is expected to dominate much of the 12-day meeting.

"We are now embarking on the largest meeting ever in the 43-year history of CITES," the convention's secretary general John Scanlon said at the start of the talks.
 

"We are going to review trade controls of close to 500 species of wild animals and plants. High on the agenda we have the African elephants, the rhino, the pangolin... The silky shark," he said.

Illegal trade in wildlife is valued at around USD 20 billion a year, according to CITES.

The meeting will consider whether to tighten, ease or not impose trade controls on the myriad of species, including special types of wood.

Scanlon lauded the high level of political support being shown for tackling the illicit wildlife trade, which is ranked among the world's largest illegal businesses alongside arms, counterfeit goods, drugs and human trafficking.

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma opened the Johannesburg talks.

"Levels of exploitation of some animal and plant species are high and the trade is capable of heavily depleting their populations and even bringing some species close to extinction," said Zuma.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) chief Erik Solheim called for more action to protect wildlife.

"We are not doing as well when it comes to protecting species. There is huge challenges and that is why this conference is so important. We need to step up to protect the elephants, the rhinos, the orangutans," said Solheim.

Scanlon said while all 183 CITES parties are "deeply committed to the survival of wild animals and plants, they sometimes have differing views on the best way to achieve this.