U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Toggle navigationUtility (Top) navigationAbout Us ForwardBackAbout UsMission & VisionLeadershipOur OrganizationOur FacilitiesRegionsLaws & Regulations ForwardBackLaws & RegulationsLaws, Agreements & TreatiesHunting RegulationsLibrary ForwardBackLibraryCategoriesCollectionsHomeServices ForwardBackServicesDuck Stamps ForwardBackDuck StampsBuy a Duck Stamp or E-StampBuy a Junior Duck StampFish StockingImporting & ExportingConsultation & Technical Assistance ForwardBackConsultation & Technical AssistanceESA Section 7 ConsultationHabitat Conservation Planning (HCPs)Candidate Conservation Agreements (CCA & CCAA)Safe Harbour Agreements (SHA)Conservation BankingCoastal Barrier Resources Act Project ConsultationCoastal Barrier Resources System Property DocumentationFinancial AssistanceSpecies ManagementInvestigational New Animal Drugs (INADS)PermitsSearch All ServicesDuck Stamps One of the easiest ways that anyone can support bird habitat conservation is by buying duck stamps.Species ForwardBackSpeciesExplore Taxonomic TreeFind a SpeciesInterest story Bats: “The Coolest Mammals on Earth”Visit Us ForwardBackVisit UsEventsRecreation PassesOutdoor RecreationWhere to HuntWhere to FishOur LocationsScenic Drives Tour routes of great scenic drives on National Wildlife Refuges.Get Involved ForwardBackGet InvolvedCareers and InternshipsVolunteeringFriends PartnershipsLearning OpportunitiesEducation ProgramsEventsPartnerships ForwardBackPartnershipsPartnership CategoriesPartner ListVolunteer Search for volunteer opportunities around the countryNewsroom ForwardBackNewsroomPress ReleasesCongressional TestimonyMedia ContactsWild Things News about wonderful wild things and placesInitiatives ForwardBackInitiativesCombating Wildlife TraffickingDirector's PrioritiesClimate ChangeHuntingFishingInvasive SpeciesPollinatorsProtecting WildlifeClimate Action FWS is taking steps to mitigate climate impactsI want to ForwardBackI Want ToReport Wildlife CrimeDo Business with FWSVolunteerFind a Job or InternshipVisit a RefugeBuy a Duck StampApply for a PermitFind FundingFind TrainingWild work Search employment opportunities with USFWSSearchSearchSearchEnter the terms you wish to search for. ×  CITESAbout UsLibraryNewsConference of the PartiesCITES CommitteesCITES Master's Course CITES 5149146letters CITES filled in with images of wildlifeCoP20 call for public recommendationsThe Service announces a 60-day public comment period for the 20th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP20). Recommendations for amendments to CITES Appendices, as well as recommendations for resolutions, decisions, and agenda items for discussion at CoP20 will be accepted through May 21, 2024.View the fullFederal Register noticefor more information and instructions on how to submit comments. Search docket number FWS‒HQ‒IA‒2024‒0033.The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is a global treaty to ensure international trade in wild plants and animals is legal, traceable, and biologically sustainable. As issues of wildlife use grow ever more complex, CITES provides tools to effectively conserve the world’s diverse natural resources.The United States is one of 184 Parties, which includes 183 member countries and the European Union, that has agreed to implement the treaty to help control global over-exploitation of wildlife and the conservation of species.What We DoOur ServicesThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s International Affairs program coordinates domestic and international efforts to protect, restore, and enhance the world’s diverse wildlife and their habitats with a focus on foreign and domestic species of international concern. We envision a world where all people value nature and conserve living resources for the well-being of life on Earth.Under theEndangered Species Act(ESA), the International Affairs program carries out the provisions of CITES through its Division of Management Authority and Division of Scientific Authority.more about usOur Projects and InitiativesInternational wildlife trade is a billion-dollar industry involving hundreds of millions of live plants and animals, as well as their products. CITES provides a framework for cooperation and collaboration by its Parties to regulate and sustain trade while ensuring it does not threaten species' survival in the wild.A meeting of the Conference of the Parties takes place approximately every three years to discuss and negotiate changes to CITES Appendices and the implementation and enforcement of the treaty. The20th meeting of the CoP (CoP20) is scheduled for late 2025.CoP20: Planning Underwayroad graphic with blue dots along the way marking calendar datesImage DetailsClick on Image Details to expand infographic.How CITES Protects SpeciesSustainable, legal use of wild animals and plants is better for both domestic and global economies than unchecked illegal trade, which can drive species and associated markets to extinction. CITES establishes agreed upon rules the Parties use to reciprocally protect the trade of one another's species, and combat wildlife trafficking. Species are listed onAppendicesthat determine the level of trade that can be supported.Advisory committeesuse their expertise and specialized knowledge to review the status of species and provide guidance on CITES implementation.standing rhinoceros with permit in backgroundImage DetailsMore Than a ListCITES works through a system ofpermits. A permit is required to import or export a CITES-listed species, whether a live specimen, part, product, or pet. Moving a listed species across international borders is considered trade, even if it’s for personal use.A permit may be issued when the Service determines that a species was acquired legally, and that its trade is not detrimental to its survival in the wild.Permits for some species that are exported in large quantities are issued in partnership with states and Tribes through the CITES Export Program.The Future of ConservationAs part of the United States’ effort to combat wildlife trafficking, our International Affairs program supports professionals working to advance and implement CITES policies in their countries through the CITES Master's Course.More about what we doLatest Stories and TopicsStoriescloseup view face to face with an adult African elephant showing one broken off tusk.Wildlife ManagementService Strengthens Measures to Enhance Conservation and Protections for African ElephantsThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today published a final rule that will improve African elephant conservation by increasing protections for elephants imported to the United States. The rule strengthens protection and conservation requirements to help ensure long-term conservation and survival of...Mar 29, 2024A group of people walk across a stone bridge, while cattle with thick horns pass, heading in the other direction. One woman carries a bundle on her head, and in the background there's lush greenery.The Story of Spillover: Sources and SafeguardsAbout 60% of known infectious diseases and 75% of new or emerging infectious diseases originate in animals. Certain interactions between animals and humans can increases the risk for zoonotic disease spread and transmission, while certain practices can minimize this risk and safeguard animal and...Dec 19, 2023An adult male saiga antelope standing in a grassy area.Saiga Antelope: A Conservation Success StorySince 2005, saiga antelope populations have gone from 48,000 to more than 1.9 million in Kazakhstan.Dec 12, 2023A group of red berries on a green-leafed plant.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Releases First Fully Digitized Permit Application FormsStarting today a variety of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit applicants will benefit from an enhancement to ePermits, the agency’s electronic permits system, as five frequently used permit application forms for export and import of wildlife have now been fully digitized.Jun 26, 2023A graphic depiction of a variety of human, wildlife, domestic animal, and environmental interactions, including cut down trees, selling wildlife and products in markets, inspecting live shipments, and diversity and community in wildlife and environmental conservation.International Affairs and One HealthInternational wildlife conservation not only promotes thriving wildlife populations, but also safeguards and enhances human, wild and domestic animal, plant, and environmental health across the globe.Jun 5, 2023small turtle on gravelEndangered Species ActEgyptian Tortoise Listed as Threatened Under the Endangered Species ActThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today listed the Egyptian tortoise -- a terrestrial reptile from Libya, Egypt and Israel -- as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The Service is also implementing a 4(d) rule to provide for further conservation safeguards for the species.Mar 29, 2023View All News
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