Rays of hope emerge for Botswana at CITES

Rays of hope for Botswana and her elephant range neighbours have emerged ahead of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Conference of Parties (CoP) meeting in Panama, where several West African countries are pushing for a ban on the country’s elephant trophy trade.

CITES is an international body binding 183 states to agreements on the trade and protection of endangered plants and animals. The upcoming CoP19, to be held in Panama in November, is CITES’ highest decision-making meeting held every three years where countries frequently clash over proposals to tighten or loosen trade in various animal and plants.