Wildlife conference boosts protection for sharks, turtles through trade regulation
PBS NewsHourAUG 2022
As many species are teetering on the edge of mass extinction, actions such as those taken by CITES are crucial. This latest conference took several steps forward in animal conservation and provided an exemplary model of international cooperation during a time of conflict, pandemics, biodiversity collapse, and climate change.
While this conference undoubtedly saw a wide range of successes, it alarmingly disregarded the concerns of less influential countries, such as a proposal from West and Central African nations to protect hippos. With approximately one million animal and plant species at risk of being lost forever, it's disheartening to see world leaders select which nations' species are worthy of protection and which aren't.