A leading United Nations expert has urged the extension of international efforts to protect endangered species beyond what he called "charismatic animals", such as elephants and whales.
Klaus Topfer, a spokesman for the Conference of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, said dozens of
other species needed protection to survive.
Topfer was speaking on the second day of the 12th conference.
Environmentalist groups are working to promote greater efforts to protect other life forms, including forests and fish.
One of the key issues at the 12-day summit centres on elephants, after a proposal by 22 African nations to authorise South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe to sell ivory from their stocks.
The conference is expected to vote on the proposal by November 15.
Hugh Vickery, a spokesman for the US delegation, said the United States had not decided whether to support the proposal.
US delegates had expressed their concern, saying ivory imports would remain prohibited in the United States.
The African nations also met opposition from Species Survival Network, a private organisation of environmentalist groups, which said reopening exports of ivory by the four African nations "would be tantamount to resuming the permanent trade in elephant products from those nations".
In spite of current restrictions, a massive illegal trade in ivory existed, especially towards developed countries, the group said.
Conference secretary General Willem Wijnsteker said the convention banning the trade in ivory was difficult to enforce because of short resources.
He said it was necessary to allocate more financial aid, especially to developing countries.
Further reading
nzherald.co.nz/environment
