Polar bears and sharks on the agenda at wildlife trade meeting

Increased trade protection for polar bears and sharks are on the agenda of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora next week in Bangkok, officials said Thursday.

"We expect proposals on polar bears, sharks and manta rays will go to a vote," convention secretary general John Scanlon said.

The meeting, which is to begin Sunday and run through March 14, is drawing more than 2,000 delegates from 177 counties.

The delegates are to consider about 70 proposals on increased or decreased trade protection for endangered species by placing them on the convention’s Appendix I, which prohibits all traffic in a species, or Appendix II, which restricts trade to assure it is "sustainable."

The United States proposed that the polar bear, whose survival is being threatened by melting ice around the Arctic Circle, be placed on Appendix I while others countries have proposed that five shark species and the manta ray be placed on Appendix II.//DPA