CITES Conference of the Parties Fails to Strengthen Protection for Polar Bears
(Bangkok, Thailand) A proposal to transfer polar bears from Appendix II to Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was defeated today by the member nations of the treaty. The proposal, submitted for consideration by the United States, garnered intense debate primarily due to opposition from Canada, Greenland, and Norway, all of which are range states for polar bears. The final tally for the vote was 38 support, 42 against, and 46 abstentions.
(46 abstentions???)
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