The "International Wildlife Conference Moves To Protect Our Wildlife" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading in my local Sunday Newspaper about a recent international wildlife conference that enacted some of the most stringent protections for sea turtles, lizards, rhinos, sharks, whales and amphibians.  Many species of wildlife have been targeted in the fin trade as well as scores of turtles, lizards and frogs whose numbers are being decimated by the pet trade.  The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, known by its initials as CITES ended recently in Panama.  Delegates to the conference enacted protections for over 500 species.  The United Nations conference also rejected a proposal to reopen the ivory trade.  That particular ban had been enacted in 1989.  It was said that we need to mend or relationship with nature!  I can remember my wife and myself, along with our traveling friends Jere and Just Sue, visiting Paradise Island in the Bahamas and going snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean Sea.  We left from Stuart's Cove Diving Center which is a state-of-the-art watersports facility that features snorkeling as well as scuba diving.  We left the dock and about 15 minutes later the boat dropped anchor and prepared us for what we were about to see and do during our time in the crystal-blue waters of the Caribbean.  A buoy was first placed in the water with a rope from it to the boat.  We entered the water and worked our way along the rope to the buoy.  At that point a few bait traps filled with food were dropped to the bottom.  We were able to watch the many sharks of all species arrive and begin feeding from the bait traps.  Not sure how much below us the sharks might have been, but it was a scary sight.  After some time we were told to return to the boat.  Shortly after, the sharks, having finished feeding from the bottom, began to swim toward the top.  They did their best to try and enter our boat, but luckily they didn't make it.  

Sharks swimming behind the boats we had just returned to a short time ago.

Rather scary, so it was, to see these immense beasts with huge mouths opening them as they swam alongside the boat.  But...it was a remarkable sight to see.  And, these creatures were killed for many years just so someone could have one of their teeth or perhaps a fin.  It was 49 years ago that an ivory ban was enacted.  How it is enforced I'm not sure, but I assume someone patrols the seas to make sure animals are not killed for their ivory.  Rhino horns as well as ivory in whales and sea turtles was also part of an International wildlife  trade treaty.  Recently the treaty has come under fire for its limitations.  One of the biggest achievements this year was increasing protection for more than 90 shark species.  The conference also enacted protections for dozens of species of turtle, lizard and 160 amphibian species including glass frogs whose translucent skin made them a favorite in the pet trade.  But, protections on anything are only as good as those who patrol and enforce the treaty that was written.  Swimming with endangered animals is one thing, but trapping them and selling them or killing them for their body parts is another thing.  Hopefully enough countries will support and enforce the laws that are meant to preserve the many species of animals that still exist.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.