Whether people realize it or not, traces of the global wildlife trade are ubiquitous, from expensive reptile-skin boots in department stores to the colorful fish swimming around a tank in your dentist’s office.

This multi-billion-dollar industry is regulated by a global treaty known as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Starting last week, representatives from more than 160 countries, conservationists and industry lobbyists have convened in Uzbekistan to negotiate new regulations for the trade of animals and plants, which are increasingly threatened around the world by climate change, poaching and habitat loss.

Though the conference goes through Friday, there have already been some conservation wins, including stronger protections

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