What does CITES stand for? CITES stands for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species What is the CITES ban? The 1990 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species put a ban on international ivory trade. Some CITES ban parties (member states) stated that wildlife had to have economic value attached to it to survive. The population has sustained due to the CITES ban. What State/Provinces did CITES only allow to sell? In 1997 CITES votes to lift trade sanctions partially. To allow Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia to sell stock piled ivory to Japan. Many conservation groups fear that this light loosening of the ivory ban will rekindle poaching through the elephants' range. At the October meeting of CITES and after heated debates, the African elephant was put on the appendix. Three months later, in January, the international trade in ivory was banned. It is widely accepted that the ivory ban worked. Ivory prices plummeted and ivory markets closed around the world. |