PANAMA CITY: In its final week, which started on Monday, a global wildlife summit in Panama will establish whether to take action to protect the ‘Translucent Glass Frog‘ and 12 different species of freshwater ‘Turtles.’
Amidst a request from ‘Eswatini’ that Japan and several other African nations backed, conservationists and delegates from more than 180 nations decided to keep the trade ban on ‘White Rhinoceros Horn’ in place.
The small African country, Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, had argued that the profits from the sale of ‘Rhino Horn’ would help conserve the endangered wildlife species.
Delegates started discussing 52 proposals to change the level of protection included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The ongoing wildlife summit will decide the conservation status of several unusual ‘amphibians’ in the coming days.
Yovana Murillo, who oversees a program against wildlife trafficking for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), stated that ‘Freshwater turtles’ are included in the main groups of trafficked wildlife species in the countries, and there is high pressure for international trade.
‘Matamata Turtles’ in Wild Life Summit
Two species of ‘matamata turtles’ live in the Amazon and Orinoco basins and are being sought after by Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Peru for listing on CITES Appendix II, which calls for trade monitoring and control.
With their beetle-like appearance, the eye-catching matamata turtles have become popular pets and “face many threats,” according to Doris Rodrigues of Peru’s forestry service.
These threats include the exploitation of ‘matamata turtles’ for their meat and eggs, pollution, illegal trade, and habitat destruction.
‘Glass Frog’ Status in Wild Life Summit
The regulation of the trade in the ‘nocturnal glass frog,’ which lives in rainforests of Central and South America, will also be a topic of discussion among the delegates this last week of the Global Wild Life Summit.
The ‘amphibian’ is an increasingly common pet; while some have translucent bellies and chests, others are lime green.
Rodriguez said that ‘amphibians’ are being gathered and trafficked for their aesthetic value and beauty. Some of them face severe risks of endangerment.
Since it was established in 1975, CITES has regulated the trade in about 36,000 different plant and animal species and has provided tools to combat illegal trade. It penalizes nations that disregard wildlife protection and conservation laws.
Once every two to three years, the parties to the Global Wildlife Summit meet. — APP
