Rattlesnakes can slither by without stricter international protections but the white-back vulture needs extra help, according to a draft Fish and Wildlife Service policy menu prepared for an upcoming international meeting on endangered species.
Charismatic African wildlife, Brazilian trees beloved by musical instrument makers and obscure species known only by their Latin names all get a shout-out in the 22-page package prepared for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora meeting that starts Nov. 24.
More than 180 countries and the European Union are parties to what is commonly known as CITES (pronounced: site-eez). They will meet through Dec. 5 in the Uzbekistan city of Samarkand to hash out the status of species and consider potential changes to either tighten or loosen international trade rules.
“While I’m wildly disappointed that the United States failed to propose any species for increased or new trade protections at CITES, their negotiating positions are better than expected,” Tanya Sanerib, international legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said Wednesday.
