Last day of CITES conference in Doha

On the last day of the Conference of International Trade in Endangered Species yesterday, Thailand offered to host the next conference in 2013.

The head of CITES stepped down, with a lot of people paying tribute to his great work in the last eleven years. The next head was welcomed.

The US, Libya and Kenya all expressed distaste for the secret ballot system of voting, although most parties said that on the whole, the conference had been well organised, and that although many were unhappy with the outcome of some of the votes, the conference had provided a necessary forum for discussion.

There were some reservations expressed about decisions seeming to have been made on a basis of politics or economics.

Africa remains divided into two camps on the ivory issue.

UNEP presented (the day before) some frightening research findings on the gorilla situation in the DRC.

ICCAT and Japan pledged to ensure the survival of the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna species.

Everyone praised Qatar for their generous hospitality and said they were impressed by the friendliness of the Qatari people.