For two weeks in late November and early December, the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, became the epicenter of global conservation diplomacy. Delegates from around the world gathered for the 20th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora-better known as CITES COP20. Their task was monumental: to negotiate international trade rules that determine the future of species ranging from okapi and saiga antelope to sharks, pangolins, eels and many more.
Eels are the stuff of nightmares - slimy, snakelike creatures that lay millions of eggs before dying so their offspring can return home to rivers and streams. They've existed since the time of the dinosaurs, and some species are more poorly understood than those ancient animals. Yet they're also valuable seafood fish that are declining all over the world, leading to a new push for restrictions on trade to help stave off extinction.
