SAVE MONEY ON TRAVEL DEALS

"Innovative and courageous solutions are required to correct the spiral of species decline", Secretary-General Willem Wijnstekers of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora said Monday in a statement at the start of the conference.

Representatives from the 173 CITES member nations will discuss the quantities of raw ivory stockpiled in four southern African countries that have been approved for export, Wijnstekers said. Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe were authorized last year to make a one-time sale of all government-owned stocks of ivory registered by the end of 2007.

The convention will also focus on tiger farming in Asia. CITES officials decided captive tiger populations should be restricted to numbers that can support wild tiger conservation and tigers should not be bred for trade in their parts, Wijnstekers said. Also on the table will be the level of mahogany exports from the Amazon basis and improvements to the timber verification system, and setting up a multi-national task force to address the illegal trade in rhinoceros horn.

 BREAKING STORIES

Ex-professor guilty in arms export case

Grains trade mostly lower Wednesday

Construction begins on Sept. 11 memorial

Grains trade lower in Chicago Tuesday

Economy not helping Obama as expected

Trade light before Labor Day break

Space Invaders art piece draws 9/11 ire

U.S. agricultural exports boom could fade

China raises export tariff on coke

Will Australia end tariffs on car imports?

Obama camp hits McCain over trade deficit

Canadian international trade up in June

India ready to return to WTO talks, report

Camps trade barbs on race

Ban expresses Doha disappointment

Norwegian farmers cheer trade talk failure

Army officer admits illegal gun exports

Doha trade talks end in stalemate

Packers Allegedly Gauge Interest in Favre Trade

Canadian retail trade inches up in May