16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP16) to CITES

Between the 3rd to the 15th of March 2013, the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP16) to CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) will take place in Bangkok, Thailand. There are proposals for increased protection for African elephants, polar bears, West African manatees, manta rays and sharks.

Dr. Ronald I. Orenstein, a zoologist, lawyer, wildlife conservationist, naturalist and birder, who has written extensively on a wide variety of ecology and conservation issues, will be attending the conference, and he gives us a general overview of CITES and the upcoming conference.