Wildlife Trade

Poaching and habitat loss are the biggest threats to the Asian rhino population.
© WWF-Canon / Alain COMPOST

CITES, pronounced SITE-EASE, stands for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna. It's a treaty administered by the United Nations and signed by more than 171 countries that regulates international trade in species of wild plants and animals considered threatened or endangered.

CITES, the biggest wildlife trade treaty in the world, came into force in 1975. Its purpose is to ensure that no species of wild fauna or flora becomes or remains subject to unsustainable exploitation because of international trade. (Domestic trade - trade of a species within any one country - is not covered by CITES, but remains an issue for individual nations to address.)

Countries that join CITES agree to adhere to the treaty's rules and to monitor and regulate - or in some cases eliminate - trade of species listed in the treaty. The member nations of CITES meet about once every two-and-a-half years to consider adding new species to the treaty, removing species no longer threatened by trade and to make adjustments to trade rules.

The two most important provisions of CITES are listing of species on either Appendix I or Appendix II. Appendix I contains species that are so endangered by trade, such as the tiger or Asian elephant, that they cannot be commercially traded internationally by member countries. A listing on Appendix II means that a species is threatened by trade, such as many parrots and corals, and cannot be internationally traded unless member countries ensure that the trade is sustainable through monitoring and regulations. CITES also monitors the sustainability of trade in species that may not be endangered, but that are important parts of the planet's resources for the future.

At the time of the first meeting of member countries in November 1976, CITES had just 30 members. There are now 171 parties. As CITES continues to grow, its potential for success becomes greater, as fewer countries can trade free of the checks that CITES requires of its members.

Species Statements for CITES

There are many species for which WWF is engaged in major conservation initiatives across a range of countries.

• WWF position statements have been prepared on proposals to amend the CITES Appendices for several species including: tigers and other Asian big cats, African elephants, spiny dogfish, porbeagle shark, sawfish, European eel, and red and pink coral. Read more
• CITES, Eh? provides a detailed set of recommendations resulting from the analysis of Canada's administration and enforcement of CITES. Execution of these recommendations will drastically improve Canada's implementation of the Convention and enhance the country's role in international wildlife conservation.

Back to the CITES overview