international trade

The web's impact was the focus Sunday at the meeting of the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES.

A United Nations-backed conference aimed at regulating international trade in endangered species such as elephants, polar bears, sharks and bluefin tuna kicked off today in Qatar with a warning that stronger action must be taken to protect wildlife at risk.

The United States said it will seek a ban on the international trade of bluefin tuna to protect the species at a meeting this month in Qatar, in a move opposed by Japan.

With global warming shrinking Arctic sea ice that polar bears depend upon for survival, the United States is seeking to remove another major threat: international trade in the bears' fur and other parts.