By Standard Reporter
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) of Wildlife, Fauna and Flora was established by an international treaty in 1975 to guard endangered species from extinction.
According to the Cites official website, the treaty 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.
Kenya is among the signatory countries and one of the most active in opposing trade in ivory, rhino horn and other highly prized game trophy.
Because the trade in wild animals and plants crosses borders between countries, the effort to regulate it requires international co-operation to safeguard certain species from over-exploitation, the treaty states.
Cites was conceived in the spirit of such co-operation. It accords varying degrees of protection to more than 30,000 species of animals and plants, whether they are traded as live specimens, fur coats or dried herbs.
About 5,000 species of animals and 28,000 species of plants are protected by Cites against over-exploitation through international trade.
International trade
The species are grouped according to how threatened they are by international trade. They include some whole groups, such as primates, cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), sea turtles, parrots, corals, cacti and orchids.
But in some cases only a sub-species or geographically separate population of a species (for example the population of just one country), is listed.
Courtesy, Official CITES website
