16 | New Scientist | 7 September 2019
ONE of the world’s largest
summits on the international
wildlife trade wrapped up
in Geneva, Switzerland, last
week, with some animals being
awarded stronger protections.
Here are seven key decisions
that were made at the
meeting of the Convention
on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES).Help for giraffes
The world’s tallest animals have
been experiencing tough times
lately. Giraffe numbers have
fallen by up to 40 per cent in just
three decades because of habitat
destruction. Countries voted
overwhelmingly to protect all
nine sub-species – the first time
giraffes have been given CITES
protection. Conservationists
said they were optimistic for the
future of giraffes after the move.Stalemate on elephants
The status quo largely
prevailed on elephants and
the ivory trade, after competing
proposals to weaken and
strengthen protections both
failed. Governments rejected
proposals to allow limited
international trade in ivory, but
also rejected a move to end all
international trade in elephants.
However, countries did back a
plan to restrict the capture and
export of elephants to zoos in
countries beyond their natural
range. The David Shepherd
Wildlife Foundation said the
step was a “momentous
victory for elephants”.Saiga hope
As New Scientist previously
reported, hopes were high
for a US-backed global ban
on trade in the saiga antelope.
The proposal to upgrade thespecies to the highest level
of protection by CITES failed.
But in a partial victory, a
“zero quota” was agreed for
the antelope, meaning its
horn can no longer be traded
internationally. The Wildlife
Conservation Society said the
vote would end the “harmful
trade” in the saiga’s horn.Frog failure
Costa Rica, El Salvador and
Honduras backed a proposal
to protect glass frogs, which
are named for their transparent
skin that shows their organs.
This trait has made them
popular in the pet trade.
The plan to protect them
was defeated. The species,
which lives in Latin America, is
under threat from trade, habitat
loss and chytridiomycosis,
an infectious disease that
has devasted amphibians
around the world.Shark success
Marine species have been
some of the big winners at
recent CITES meetings. This
one was no exception, with new
protections for 18 shark and ray
species, including the world’s
fastest sharks, the shortfinand longfin mako. Around
100 species of sharks and
rays are regularly traded
internationally for their fins and
meat, according to the Wildlife
Conservation Society, which
welcomed the new protections.Otter ban
Governments agreed a total ban
on the international trade in
both the smooth-coated and the
Asian small-clawed otter. Both
species have recently become
popular as pets. Wildlife trade
monitoring group TRAFFIC
said the decision “could
spur enforcement efforts”
and lead countries to launch
investigations into claims of
captive breeding operations
for the otters.Mammoth miss
One of the most striking
proposals at the CITES
meeting was to ban the trade
in mammoth ivory, because it
is sometimes used to launder
elephant ivory. However, the
plan was withdrawn at the
summit and countries agreed
instead to a study into the
contribution of the extinct
species’ ivory to the illegal
elephant ivory trade. ❚CITES summitNATURE PICTURE LIBRARY/ALAMY STOCK PHOTONews
More protections for wildlife
A major conference on conservation brought both good
and bad news for species, says Adam VaughanAviationDavid HamblingA ROBOT has earned its pilot’s
licence and performed its first
flight – and had its first airborne
mishap too.
Unlike a traditional autopilot,
the ROBOpilot Unmanned Aircraft
Conversion System literally takes
the controls, pressing on foot pedals
and handling the yoke using robotic
arms. It reads an aircraft’s dials and
meters using computer vision.
The robot can take off, follow a
flight plan and land without human
intervention. ROBOpilot is a drop-in
system, meaning that the pilot’s
seat is removed and replaced with
the robot. It can be inserted into any
aircraft and easily removed to return
it to human operation.
ROBOpilot has passed the US
Federal Aviation Administration’spractical test for piloting light
aircraft and carried out its first
flight on 9 August in Utah. A few
weeks later, the plane the robot
was flying was damaged in its first
accident, although the extent of the
damage is unknown.
The system was developed by
US-based DZYNE Technologies as
an easy way to make any aircraft
autonomous. At present, turning an
aircraft into a drone can be a lengthy
and expensive process. Conversion
of US military F-16 fighter jets into
drones has been known to cost
more than a million dollars each.
“It looks like an impressive
achievement in terms of robotics,”
says Louise Dennis at the
University of Liverpool, UK.
The makers say that ROBOpilot
could be useful for tasks including
transporting cargo, flying in
hazardous environments and
intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance missions. ❚Robot pilot gets
its wings and
takes to the skies“ ROBOpilot literally takes
the controls, pressing on
foot pedals and handling
the yoke with its arms”