According to research presented at a meeting of the United Nations

Mar 22, 2010 11:42 GMT  ·  By
Even lion cubs are being auctioned and sold online, in various private chat rooms
   Even lion cubs are being auctioned and sold online, in various private chat rooms

All rare and endangered things apparently exert a certain type of fascination for certain types of people, who would pay large amounts of money just to have an object only a handful of other people already poses. Unfortunately, the same holds true for endangered plants and animals, according to the results of an investigation presented by scientists at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) conference, held in Doha, Qatar. More than 175 nations sent their representatives to attend, according to the BBC News.

This particular meeting was not one of great success for endangered species. Though some days of talks still remain, the majority of those present already rejected new measures proposed to save the polar bears. This means that the already-endangered animals could come under even more human influence, in addition to losing their habitat and food sources. An additional ban on trading bluefish tuna, supplies of which have been critically-low for years, has also been rejected, as this fish is considered to be a delicacy in some country.

But, in addition to deciding on the future of species, the CITES meeting was also made aware of the mechanisms that some groups use to promote poaching and the illegal trade of endangered animal body parts. Be they private collectors or superstitious villagers looking to perform magic rituals, people tend to use the Internet more and more as a tool of getting in touch with buyers and sellers of poached animals. The trade is estimated to be worth millions of dollars annually, and is placing protected animals at even greater risk than usual. Encouraged by the anonymity of the Internet and also by the fact that rich people pay a hefty price for their merchandise, many poor people, living close to protected national parks around the world, break the law in order to make a quick buck.

“The Internet is becoming the dominant factor overall in the global trade in protected species,” told the delegates International Fund for Animal Welfare representative Paul Todd. The World Wildlife Fund gave the example of the rare type of Iranian salamander known as Kaiser's Spotted Newt, which the environmentalists say has been devastated by Internet trade. The meeting supported the group, and voted for a ban on the international trade of this animal. However, another proposal to ban the trade of rare corals – which are used to make jewels – was defeated, as officials motivated a ban would have negative implications for local fishing communities.