The CITES Convention and trade in animals and plants

The Convention aims to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. For this purpose, it introduced provisions to regulate trade in endangered animals and plants. It differentiates between "species" - such as elephants, tigers or whales, - and specimens, which are the individual animals or plants, whether they are alive or dead, as well as readily recognisable parts thereof, such as the skin of a tiger or the tusk of an elephant.

Overall, the CITES Convention protects about 5000 species of animals and 29,000 species of plants; about 1200 species are listed in Appendix I, 21,000 in Appendix II, and some 170 species in Appendix III. Different species are listed with their Latin names only. Only families of species are named in English or other languages; there are, however, manuals and handbooks published which facilitate the identification of species.

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The international and EU approaches against wildlife trafficking and illegal logging – an introduction
Gaël de Rotalier