Question

What is CITES? When was the agreement reached, and how is it different from the Endangered Species Act passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Nixon?

A) CITES is an organization for international trade in endangered species, agreed upon in 1973. It primarily deals with species preservation, whereas the Endangered Species Act focuses on domestic conservation.

B) CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, established in 1973. It focuses on regulating international trade in endangered species, while the Endangered Species Act is a U.S. law for protecting threatened and endangered species.

C) CITES is an international agreement for trade in endangered species, reached in 1969. It has a broader scope than the U.S. Endangered Species Act and covers all wildlife trade.

D) CITES is a U.S. law, enacted in 1973, that protects domestic endangered species, while the Endangered Species Act is an international agreement aimed at wildlife conservation.

Answer 1

CITES is an international treaty established in 1973 to regulate the international trade of endangered species, while the Endangered Species Act is a U.S. law enacted in the same year focused on the protection of species and their habitats domestically. They differ in their scope, with CITES addressing cross-border trade and the ESA addressing domestic conservation issues.

Step-by-step explanation:

CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, is a global agreement that was established in 1973 and came into force in 1975. It is designed to regulate the international trade of approximately 33,000 listed species of animals and plants to ensure their survival. Unlike CITES, the Endangered Species Act (ESA), passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Nixon in 1973, is a domestic law focused on protecting threatened and endangered species within the United States. It mandates the development of recovery plans for these species and targets their conservation needs, which may not necessarily be linked to international trade.

The main difference between CITES and the ESA is their scope and jurisdiction. CITES is an international treaty that has worldwide participation and manages cross-border trade, aiming to prevent species from becoming endangered or extinct due to international trade. On the other hand, the ESA is specific to the U.S. and offers a legal framework for the conservation of species and their habitats within the country, managing both the species and the ecosystems they depend on.

The illegal trade in wildlife and their parts is monitored by non-profit organizations like TRAFFIC, which works alongside treaties like CITES to ensure that international regulations are followed and to help curtail illegal activities that could damage biodiversity.