Europe has a major say in where the wild things are

SHARKS

Sharks have suffered from bad publicity for many years, but even these famed movie villains are in need of protection.Porbeagle sharks and their spiny dogfish cousins are both candidates to be added to the CITES list (appendix II). Both are critically endangered in the north-east Atlantic and are vulnerable globally, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) red list. Demand is high for these sharks, which take a long time to grow and mature. EU vessels catch around 100,000 tonnes of sharks and rays each year, most of which is destined for Asia to cater for the rising demand for shark-fin soup, a Chinese delicacy. European consumers, especially those in Italy and Spain, account for more than half of global shark meat imports, according to Oceana, a conservation group. Conservationists would also like the EU to throw its weight behind proposals to protect other shark species.

RED AND PINK CORALS

Corals have been used to make jewellery for thousands of years, but increased harvesting of the slow-growing organisms has had a dramatic effect. Corals – actually tiny animals, not plants – are threatened by trade, but also by the acidification of the oceans that comes with climate change. The stubby, bushy red corals found around the Mediterranean and North African coasts are particularly vulnerable, and have suffered in the past from dredging. In1985-2001, the amount of coral harvested in the Mediterranean fell by 66%, according to IUCN, and many sites are no longer commercially viable. Sweden and the US are backing red and pink corals' inclusion on the CITES list, although an attempt to add them to the list in 2007 failed to win enough support.

POLAR BEARS

Polar bears are the top predator in the Arctic, but are in decline. Their numbers have fallen by more than 30% in less than half a century and  continue to do so as the sea ice melts. The remaining 20,000-25,000 bears are now classed as vulnerable by the IUCN and climate change is by far the biggest threat. According to conservative estimates, the disappearance of the summer sea ice is expected as late as 2100, though more recent data suggest it could disappear as early as 2012. Trade in polar bear parts is limited, but the European Commission favours a total trade ban to reinforce protection for the bears. But Traffic, a wildlife monitoring group, rejects a total trade ban, arguing that trade is not the main threat to the bears' existence and is not increasing. Traffic also notes that the species is likely to decline by 30% over the next 50 years.

ELEPHANTS

Elephants are surprisingly hard to count. They roam far and wide, making conservationists reluctant to put a tally on their numbers. African elephants are found in 37 countries and are found in dense forests, on open savannahs, grassland, mountain slopes and beaches.  Over the last decade their conservation status has improved. The IUCN has downgraded their extinction risk from ‘vulnerable' to ‘near threatened', as a result of population growth in southern and eastern Africa. But elephants remain vulnerable to illegal poaching and the disappearance of their habitats. According to the IUCN, elephants in southern African countries are recovering from historic lows, but in eastern Africa, the species has not fully recovered from massive poaching in the 1970s. The outlook for west African elephants is less positive. The African Elephant Coalition says that elephants risk extinction in Sierra Leone and Chad.

BLUEFIN TUNA

Atlantic bluefin tuna has been fished in the Mediterranean for centuries. But now conservationists are warning that the rise in demand for sushi is threatening to drive this muscular fish to extinction. WWF, a conservation group, has said that breeding stocks could disappear by 2012 if no action is taken to stop overfishing. In 2009, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the group of countries responsible for managing the tuna, agreed to reduce catches to help the stock recover.  The problem is that fisherman consistently net catches that are way above the ICCAT's recommendations and there are no signs that this is changing. A proposal from Monaco for a trade ban has won the support of 22 EU countries, including Germany, the UK and, more recently, France and Italy. The European Commission remains split between its environment department, which favours a ban, and its fisheries department, which is against a ban.

WOLVES, CROCODILES AND BOBCATS...

 As well as the five species that are on the EU's agenda, countries meeting in Doha will consider several dozen others. Kaiser's spotted newt, an amphibian found in Iran, is a strong candidate for a total trade ban, as there are now fewer than 1,000 of them left in the wild. The Guatemalan spiny-tailed iguana, sought after as a pet and for use in medicines, is also deemed to be critically endangered. Bolivia's rhinoceros beetle is also a highly sought-after pet and can sell for more than $220 (€160). As well as increasing protection, countries will also vote on whether to loosen restrictions. The US has proposed that the bobcat should be removed from the endangered list, although Traffic, a wildlife monitoring group, says that the fashion world's increased use of cat furs makes such a move premature. Also to be decided is protection status for the grey wolf, the misfit leaf frog, the Morelet's crocodile, species of Mexican cacti and Brazilian rosewood.