What is the primary purpose of CITES?

The primary purpose of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, is indeed to prevent the extinction of endangered plant and animal species due to international trade. CITES aims to ensure that trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival in the wild. This is accomplished through a system of permits and regulations that control the international movement of species listed in its appendices, categorized based on their level of endangerment.

The focus on conservation reflects an understanding that excessive exploitation of certain species can lead to their decline and potential extinction. By regulating trade, CITES serves as a vital framework for international cooperation in wildlife conservation, aiming to strike a balance between the needs of people and the conservation of biodiversity.

The other responses do not align with CITES’s core purpose. While regulating non-endangered species and facilitating traditional art may involve regulatory aspects, they are not central goals of the convention. Similarly, enhancing biodiversity in urban areas is more of a local or ecological initiative, rather than an objective directly associated with the international framework established by CITES.