The aim of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 1973 (CITES) is to establish worldwide controls over trade in endangered wildlife and wildlife products by listing species in three categories:

1. CITES Appendix I – all species threatened with extinction which are or may be affected by trade. Trade in these taxa is strictly regulated and commercial trade virtually prohibited.

2. CITES Appendix II - taxa likely to become endangered if trade is not strictly managed. Appendix II species can be commercially traded, but trade requires an export permit.

3. CITES Appendix III – species which any Party to the Convention identifies as being subject to regulation within its jurisdiction.

Australia became a signatory to CITES in 1974 and, as required, the first official list of endangered vertebrate animals was prepared in 1980.

One shortcoming of CITES is that there are a number of practical problems associated with gaining protection. The requirement that a species be nominated by a State Party and accepted by the Conference of the Parties has meant that the species listed are mainly those that do not have major commercial value, since there is considerable lobbying by industry for states not to nominate commercially exploited species (Herriman et al. 1997).

Another problem, discussed by Green and Hendry (1999), is that there is a widespread failure to record coral species on CITES trade permits, despite a legal obligation to do so, due to the complexity of coral taxonomy and the volume of coral specimens in trade. Green and Hendry (1999) experimentally tested the accuracy of non-specialists in identifying coral genera, using existing guides, and found that only 3 of 10 genera were identified to more than 67% accuracy. They recommended that guides designed specifically for this purpose, and a change in emphasis under CITES to genera rather than species, would improve the effectiveness of CITES in monitoring trade.