Namibia's elephant population is said to be well looked-after

They include proposals from Namibia to relax the ban on the trade in elephant ivory and from Japan to relax the ban on hunting minke whales.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species is meeting in Geneva to look at the proposals.

Other countries want more protection for commercially valuable species.

HAVE YOUR SAY This is not a game - free trade will ultimately benefit us all Graeme Phillips, Berlin, Germany Send us your comments

The international trade in wildlife is big business, estimated to be worth billions of dollars a year.

Since 1997, the trade in elephant ivory has been limited to one-off sales of stockpiles. But now Namibia would like permission to export two tonnes of ivory each year.

Careful consideration

Cites scientists say Namibia's elephant population seems to be extremely well looked after. Nevertheless, permitting it to sell ivory could impact on other elephant populations and will have to be carefully considered.

Meanwhile, Japan has again asked for a relaxation of the ban on hunting the minke whales.

Japan has asked again to relax the ban on hunting minke whales

Insiders think this is likely to be rejected because Cites policy is to be consistent with the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which has a complete moratorium on commercial whaling.

Of 50 proposals submitted for inclusion in the convention, however, over half are designed to increase protection, not relax it.

Many countries want restrictions placed on highly commercially valuable species. The US and the European Union have proposed trade restrictions on the humphead wrasse - a fish which is still fairly plentiful, but which some believe is being over exploited.

All the proposals will be considered by Cites scientists, but will only receive final approval or rejection when the 166 parties to the convention meet in Bangkok in October.