International wildlife trade regulation and its enforcement in Malaysia

1. INTRODUCTION Many flora and fauna species are harvested and sold legitimately as food, medicine, ornaments, pets, and so on. However, trade can cause overexploitation to the extent of causing a species to become threatened or endangered if not regulated adequately to control illegal and avoid unsustainable trade. International awareness on the need for global trade controls to minimize the effects of trade on wildlife conservation had been recognized as early as 1900.[3] In March 1973, reflecting continuous international concern over the issue, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)[4] was signed to provide a framework to control trade of certain wildlife species from both exporting and importing countries. As the major repositories of the world's biodiversity, it is essential for mega-biodiversity countries like Malaysia to regulate international wildlife trade to protect their biodiversity from being exploited unsustainably by observing the international regulations outlined by CITES.[5