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Historic and Sweeping Trade Protections for Sharks and Rays Adopted
WCS and ICCN Welcome CITES Decision to Prohibit the International Trade of Endangered Okapi
This highest level of international protection will prohibit all international commercial trade in okapi or their parts, as well as sub-products. The species is already fully protected as an endemic species under national law in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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CITES CoP20 Decision Allows International Trade in Saiga Horn, Strongly Opposed by WCS
Mongolia’s saiga is a unique and irreplaceable subpopulation found nowhere else. Although numbers have grown, it remains extremely vulnerable.
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Oceanic Whitetips Upgraded to Appendix I
The vote marks a major victory for one of the most imperiled shark species on the planet. “Today’s decision is a watershed moment for all sharks and rays,” said Luke Warwick, Director of Shark & Ray Conservation at WCS.
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Latest Assessment of Critically Endangered Forest Elephants Sheds New Light on their Numbers and Optimism for Their Future
These new figures for the whole of the African Forest Elephant population are reassuring, as there are only two sites where major declines took place since 2016.
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CITES Parties Miss a Chance to Ensure a Future for Endangered Eels
There were strong lobbying interests against this scientifically sound effort to regulate the global eel trade, said Dr. Susan Lieberman, WCS Vice President of International Policy.
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Governments Face Last Chance to Prevent Extinction of Whale Sharks, Manta Rays, and More
“CoP20 is a test of global will,” said WCS’s Luke Warwick. “Species like oceanic whitetip sharks, manta rays, and whale sharks cannot withstand commercial trade. The science is unequivocal, and the tools and support to implement CITES already exist for governments once listings pass.”
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“We need to give species a fighting chance.”
WCS’s Susan Lieberman delivered an urgent call-to-action during the High-Level Dialogue on the eve of the opening of COP20.
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WCS Supports Ecuador’s Proposal to Strengthen Protection for Galápagos Land and Marine Iguanas
“They have survived volcanic eruptions, droughts, and isolation over millennia, but they are now up against threats they cannot withstand alone,” said Sebastian Valdivieso, Country Director for WCS Ecuador.
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Don’t Let Saiga’s Remarkable Recovery Be Undone by Horn Trade
We are urging the Parties at COP20 to oppose Proposal 3, which would lift the zero-export quota for wild saiga from Kazakhstan and allow international commercial trade in saiga horns.
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Endangered Okapi Needs Global Trade Protections, Says WCS
The giraffe's only living relative faces ongoing threats from hunting, illegal trade, and habitat loss.
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WCS Urges Trade Protections of Eels, Which Face Many Threats Including Illegal Trade
We are calling on Parties gathering at COP20 to support Proposal 35, which would list the American eel on CITES Appendix II.
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Major Progress and Ongoing Gaps in Global Trade Protections for Sharks and Rays
A new global study co-authored by WCS reveals strong conservation progress in implementing international trade protections for sharks and rays under at a rate and scale that was previously lacking, particularly in biodiverse regions such as the global tropics.
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Coalition of Governments Unites Behind Strict Trade Protections For Sharks and Rays
The proposals reflect what scientists and governments have known for years: For some shark and ray species sustainable trade is not feasible
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WCS Calls for Bold Action and New Wildlife Trade Protections at CITES CoP20
“CITES Parties have a critical opportunity at this meeting to choose the future we want for wildlife. We cannot allow short-term commercial interests to reverse conservation successes or threaten recovering species such as the saiga,” said WCS’s Dr. Susan Lieberman.
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Why we oppose saiga decision
Why are protections for Galápagos iguanas needed?
Protecting Species Against Our Desire to Keep Them
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Let’s Remember to Protect the “Ugly” Species
As governments from across the globe decide on the future of a broad swath of species subject to international trade, lets spare a thought for the less charismatic, writes WCS's Susan Lieberman.
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A Marathon Swimmer in a Race for Its Life
WCS scientists helped reveal where the American eel begins its life. Now, it’s up to all of us to make sure the journey continues, says WCS's Jake LaBelle.
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COP20 Overview
What are WCS’s priorities at CoP20?
Sharks and Rays
What’s happening at CoP20 to support shark and ray conservation?
An Opportunity to Protect Sharks and Rays
Sharks and rays are some of the ocean’s most iconic species, but they are in crisis. In Samarkand, Uzbekistan, governments will decide whether or not to give certain shark and ray species the highest level of international trade protections.
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