(MWN / 22-03-10)  Internet has become one of the greatest threathens for the species in danger of extinction. There is a proliferation of websites where one can buy from a coral to babies of protected species. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES), held in Doha (Qatar), said so this weekend.

However, the Convention has refused the proposal presented by USA and Sweden to regulate the trade of red and pink corals, often used to make jewels that can cost large amounts of money and are massively sold through the Internet.

The main reason for vetoing the proposal was that increasing the controls on the marketing of red coral would be against the most disadvantaged fishermen.

64 countries voted against the regulation, opposed to the 59 that were for it. They were trying to include in Annex II of the Endangered Species Convention a total of 31 types of coral in order to control their export and import. Of these 31 species there are seven overexploited, one of them in the Mediterranean Sea and six in the Pacific Ocean.

These are the most demanded species, and therefore they reach a high price on the market. One kilogram of rough coral costs about 1,500 dollars, (1,100 €). In the case worked pieces one kilogram costs between 30,000 and 50,000 dollars (22,000- 36,000 €).

The trade of these species through the Internet is one of the main challenges the Convention faces, according to what Paul Todd, from ‘International Fund for Animal Welfare' has explained.

This organization has carried out several studies on the issue and has conclude that are thousands of species with which people is trading on the Internet. They appear both in specific pages, in adverts sections or in chats. Although most sales are made in the USA, they also exist in Europe, China, Russia and Australia.