The Washington Convention owes its existence to non-governmental organizations. Up to the mid- 1970s, the only obstacles to the movement of wild animals by man were the still-limited veterinary restrictions, as well as the nature conservation regulations applied in individual countries. In such circumstances, it was possible to observe and document the increasing endangerment of many species of wild animals as a result of the impact of international trade in them, or products derived from them. As time passed, experts working in both governmental and non-governmental nature conservation insitutions became ever more vocal in their demands for legal regulations which would at least check upon the scope of the trade in animals and plants. It was as a result of these pressures that the Washington Convention (CITES for short) was drawn up. The number of participants to the Convention rose quickly, but all the compliance with its regulations left, and still leaves, much to be desired. As a consequence, non-governmental organizations have become active in this field. Parrots are the birds in which the international trade is most substantial, but birds of prey are the second most important group, with the collecting of eggs or nestlings from the wild being particularly harmful as populations build very slowly. Only ten per cent of hatched nestlings go on to reach reproductive age. The non-governmental organization most important and most active in the monitoring of the trade in wildlife is "TRAFFIC" - a body created and financed by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Acting within TRAFFIC is a bureau for the monitoring of trade which collects all available information in its central database. Through its network of consultants and experts, TRAFFIC can gain knowledge of poaching activity and can therefore ensure that animals are confiscated before they cross a national border. TRAFFIC is also in close co-operation with the CITES Secretariat in Lausanne. TRAFFIC is joined in the field in question by a whole series of organizations concentrating on single groups of animal or types of activity. Included among these are: the International Primate League, the Rhino Trust, IUCN, WWF, Zoo-Check, the Born-Free Foundation, Eurogroup Against Bird Crime, the Parrot Trust and Greenpeace. As time passes, non-govermental organizations are becoming, in many countries, inseparable components in the monitoring of compliance with the provisions of CITES. Their achievements and working methods have gained them many admirers and advocates. They consult on, among other things, the problems which emerge as CITES is implemented, and they also co-operate with customs services in their day to day work. By sitting on the advisory bodies in Ministries, members of these non-governmental organizations are able to assist in the identification of species of animals and plants, and are even able to maintain confiscated animals until the matters in contention have been resolved. Zoological gardens are also active co-participants in nature conservation, including those aspects regulated by the Washington Convention. Until the 1970s, zoos were usually the biggest consumers of wild fauna. However, their present roles often involve efforts to protect endangered species through captive breeding. Indeed, the present "production" of animals, especially endangered animals, is often sufficient to exceed the capacity of zoos to maintain them. Many animals are being returned to the wild, in places from which they have been lost, and permission is even given for individuals of species listed in Appendix I of CITES to be taken from the wild, if this is justified to meet the needs of captive breeding. Zoo staff also co-operate with the customs services to identify species and to maintain confiscated individuals on commission. It is unfortunate that, as of 1994, none of the aforementioned organizations has an office in Poland. Checks on the Polish borders are, after all, of key significance for the trade in species in Europe as a whole. It is to be expected that international organizations will make efforts to commence activities in Poland, and that they will receive a warm welcome. It can also be anticipated that the many Polish organizations with ecological profiles will take a greater interest in CITES than has been the case up to now.
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