In celebration of the 40th Anniverary of CITES and the upcoming Sixteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP16), FWS News, the quarterly newsletter of the Service, has released a special section in their recent issue highlighting the importance of CITES and its rich history. To read the stories, visit our Articles page. Also be sure to visit our CoP16 page to learn about what the U.S. is doing in preparation for CoP16.

 Wildlife Without Border's African Elephant Conservation Fund supported a recent report from the Elephant Trade Information System managed by TRAFFIC on behalf of the CITES member States. The report has revealed that illegal trade in ivory is at its highest levels in nearly two decades, and 2011 witnessed a major surge in poaching. The findings are based largely on ivory seizure information submitted by governments and will be presented and discussed at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP16): http://bit.ly/UHIdsS

Twenty participants representing 6 countries, 4 NGOs, 2 US Cabinet Departments, and the secretariats of 3 international conventions met January 28th-29th, 2013 to discuss conservation efforts for migratory species. These species are vital ecological and economic resources shared by the nations and inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere. Learn more about the topics covered at the meeting. The WHMSI partners are: Ocean Foundation, American Bird Conservancy, Rainforest Alliance, Convention on Migratory Species, Society for the Study of Carribbean Birds, and Organization of American States