The trade in some of the world's rarest species from the fearsome great white shark to the delicate orchid will be scrutinised here this week, accompanied by demands for tougher action against smugglers.
Representatives from 166 nations will gather in Bangkok from October 2 to 14 to discuss some 50 proposals on the regulation of trade in rare or endangered animals and plants and to protect them from extinction.
The stakes are high as the trade is worth billions of dollars and covers more than 350 million plant and animal specimens every year, organisers say.
Illegal smuggling threatens to tip some species into extinction, prompting calls for better policing of decisions made by CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
The meeting highlights species that need trade protection after becoming threatened through over-harvesting, pollution and habitat destruction.
Kevin Adams, the chief of law enforcement for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, said there were "tremendous challenges" in the trade, including the need to crack down on smugglers and back up laws with lengthy jail terms.
"One message that will resonate in Bangkok is that law enforcement is a necessary tool in all of this," Adams told AFP. "We don't see our business decreasing."
The gathering sets the stage for a new round in several longstanding battles. The CITES meeting, held every two or three years, is again expected to witness fierce debates over whaling and the ivory trade.
Japan is heading moves to ease trading restrictions over some minke whale populations which have recovered to one million world-wide after decades when their numbers dwindled through hunting.
Other rows are likely over the ivory trade, as some southern African nations with well-managed elephant populations want to make it easier to sell ivory and leather abroad - much to the chagrin of some environmentalists.
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