Two native Australian gecko species are set to be better protected from illegal international wildlife trade.
This is a result of proposals Australia took to the 20th meeting of CITES in late 2025. CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.
CITES member countries supported our proposals to increase protections for:
- the ringed thin-tail gecko
- the Mount Elliot leaf-tailed gecko.
Both will be added to CITES Appendix II, strengthening regulations on their trade.
These unique and rare geckos are in-demand in the illegal pet trade. They also face threats to their habitats from changing land use.
Australia also supported proposals by other member countries to protect marine species. These included stronger measures to ban international commercial trade for:
- whale sharks
- oceanic whitetip sharks
- manta rays
- devil rays.
We supported stronger protections for gulper sharks, school sharks, wedgefish and guitar fish.
We also supported proposals that will enhance efforts to protect land species. These include African elephants, rhinos, giraffes, okapi and the golden-bellied mangabey.
