CITES - the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species - will set a precedent if it votes to ban trading in a lucrative fish such as bluefin.
The US and EU back the proposal, but Japan is set against.
Conservation groups are also hoping for increased protection on sharks, coral, polar bears, lizards and amphibians. African disunityThe ivory and tuna issues are both potentially controversial. This is a key conservation moment - whether the governments here will vote for the conservation of bluefin tuna Dr Sue LiebermanPew Environment Group International ivory trading was banned in 1989. But countries considered to have well-managed stocks of elephants and reliable systems for tracking tusks have three times been allowed to sell consignments from government stockpiles.
Zambia and
power leveling Tanzania are now seeking permission for a further sale.
But other African nations led by Kenya and Mali want a 20-year ban on all ivory exports. They argue that the legal trade stimulates poaching, which has been on the rise in recent years.
"To permit any step towards further trade in ivory makes no sense whatsoever - it flies in the face of every basic conservation principle and is contrary to the agreement made at the last meeting," said Jason Bell-Leask
wow leveling from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw). However, the organisation Traffic - which is charged with collecting data on illegal elephant killings and ivory smuggling - maintains there is no proof of a link.
