An iternational conference on endangered animals and plants is underway in Qatar, with a ban on the fishing of bluefin tuna topping the agenda.
 
Around 120 of the 175 member states of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) will meet in the capital Doha over the coming two weeks.
 
The proposal to ban the lucrative trade in fish such as bluefin tuna, which is nearly extinct, has been proposed by Monaco and has the backing of the European Union and the United States. Japan, whose citizens value the fish as a delicacy and a standard ingredient of sushi and sashimi, oppose the ban.
 
The international trade in ivory will also come under discussion. Although a ban on the trade has been in force for years, the African countries of Zambia and Tanzania want to repeal it.
 
Other threatened species under discussion include sharks, polar bears, tigers, rhinoceroses and corals.