Delegates from 185 countries are set to haggle over new trade restrictions and bans for dozens of threatened animal and plant species as a major global wildlife conference opens in the Uzbek city of Samarkand on Monday.
Marine species are expected to feature heavily in the talks, which are scheduled to run until December 5.
Sharks and rays are the second most threatened group after amphibians, said Inka Gnittke, head of the German delegation ahead of the conference. "That's why it has long been important for us to include these marine species in trade protection measures as well," she said.
Delegates will also debate proposals affecting trade in ivory, rhinos and their horns and giraffes. Several European species are on the agenda as well. Germany also anticipates discussions over a proposal to place all eel species under restricted trade rules.
"The idea behind the eel proposal is that, without DNA testing, customs officers can hardly distinguish between species," said Gnittke, who heads the biodiversity division at Germany's Environment Ministry. This means smugglers can pass off protected eels as, for example, Japanese eel, she added.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) with its 185 members governs global trade in threatened wildlife. More than 40,000 species are currently subject to trade restrictions or bans under the treaty.