International Trade in Wildlife

International trade in wildlife generates billions of dollars annually and is a continuing threat to the survival of countless animal and plant species. Illicit trade in wild animals and their parts is the third most lucrative illegal commerce, behind drugs and arms trafficking. This brochure examines the lofty goals - and, in practice, dismal shortcomings - of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the international treaty designed to protect endangered and threatened species. Tips on what consumers can do to avoid products made from endangered species are also included.