Celebrating World Wildlife Day: How CITES protects our species.
March 3 is World Wildlife Day, a day to raise awareness of the need to protect the world’s wild animals and plants. The Earth is home to over 13,000 known species of mammals and birds, tens of thousands of reptiles, amphibians, and fish, some 250,000 flowering plants, and millions of insects and other invertebrates. And more species continue to be discovered every year. World Wildlife Day is an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of life on Earth and to learn about the threats facing wild animals and plants. It is also a time to take action to protect wildlife.
March 3 was chosen as World Wildlife Day because it was the day the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was signed back in 1973. On this special day, we will explore how CITES protects our species.
CITES is an international agreement between governments that aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the species’ survival. CITES protects the species from being excessively traded and exploited illegally and unsustainably in the wild. The trade for live animals and plants is for a variety of uses, including food products, exotic leather goods, timber medicines, etc. The extinction of these wildlife species would have irreversible ecological consequences.
CITES offers three levels of protection for their species. Appendix I protects species threatened with extinction and prevents trade. Appendix II protects species not necessarily threatened with extinction but might become extinct unless trade is regulated and controlled. Appendix III protects species that are subject to regulation within the jurisdiction of a Party whereby the cooperation of other Parties is needed to control international trade.
CITES protects more than 40,000 species of animals and plants from being exploited. CITES also regulates the international trade of over 800 tree species and contributes to the long-term conservation and sustainable use of the world’s forest resources. CITES has played a crucial role in recovering several species that were once on the brink of extinction due to over-exploitation. For example, the Southern White Rhino and the African Elephant populations have shown signs of recovery due to CITES regulations and international cooperation.
In 1989, CITES imposed a global ban on the international trade in ivory to combat the escalating poaching crisis that was impacting elephant populations across Africa. Elephants are thus on Appendix I, offering them the highest level of protection under CITES. While they have had many wins, CITES’ efforts are a continuous work in progress, with a lot of work still to be done.
With all the species we are lucky to have on Earth, we must do what we can to protect them. CITES is only one of many organizations that are working to preserve our species. On World Wildlife Day, there are many things you can do to bring awareness to our wildlife. This includes:
- Get to know the species that face the most urgent threats in your area and learn how you and your community can help conserve them or support ongoing initiatives to do so.
- Organizing your own events and celebrations, such as virtual discussions, a film festival, a march, or an awareness day at your office or school.
- Share some amazing facts about wildlife species on social media.
- Visiting a local zoo, botanical conservatory, or aquarium to learn more about the wildlife or where you contribute to wildlife projects.
- Volunteering with wildlife organizations or zoos.
No matter how you choose to celebrate World Wildlife Day, it means we are one step closer to protecting the wildlife surrounding us and celebrating the joy they bring us.
