Some 1,500 delegates gathered for the 13th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) are set to debate 50 changes to the global treaty, including limits on trade in species such as the great white shark and Irawaddy dolphin.

Others species include the Asian elephant, the tropical ramin tree used in pool cues and the reef-dwelling humphead wrasse -- considered a delicacy in Southeast Asia.

Even before the opening ceremony on Saturday, intense lobbying began by environmental groups seeking to protect more species, and by parties which see the treaty as a mechanism to boost trade.

Namibia has sparked controversy by wanting to change CITES rules to allow it to export 2,000 kilograms (4,409 pounds) a year of raw ivory from elephants that have died naturally.

Environmentalists say this will open another loophole for smugglers to exploit. An ivory ban has been in place since 1989 and another African nation, Kenya, has proposed a 20-year moratorium on ivory trading.

Japan is pushing to end the total trading ban on some populations of minke whale which has recovered to a total of about one million worldwide. But the move is being fiercely opposed by conservation groups such as Greenpeace.

"Every summit, we face these challenges by countries such as Japan. It's always been difficult but CITES continues to be the most effective mechanism for regulating the wildlife trade," Greenpeace's ocean campaign director John Fitzgerald told AFP.

But in a damning indictment of the world's ability to halt the illegal wildlife trade, CITES secretary general Willem Wijnstekers said what was needed most was "an increase of political will in most, if not all, of its 166 parties."

He told delegates at the opening ceremony that to effectively protect endangered species there would need to be a big increase in law enforcement and greater cooperation between nations.

However, CITES Standing Committee Chairman Kenneth Stansell warned that even if agreements could be struck on these issues and others such as a need for more public awareness campaigns, there would not be enough money to fund them.

"Regrettably the demand for such support significantly outstrips the capacity of the parties to directly fund these efforts through their contributions," Stansell told delegates.

Stansell said not only would a lack of money pose a barrier to new initiatives, it would also have an impact on core elements of the convention.

"The discussions of (CITES) committees will centre on inevitable cuts to the CITES programs," he said.

Acknowledging that law enforcement should not be allowed to fall behind, host nation Thailand -- which is the world's largest ivory market -- announced its own initiative to head a regional wildlife police network.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra told delegates Saturday that if other Asian nations agreed to the proposal, Thailand would host a regional meeting in 2005 on how to implement and co-fund an Asian Interpol-style force capable of enforcing CITES agreements.

The CITES register has three sections. The first, most rigorous category has 600 animal and 300 plant species in which all commercial trade is banned except under special circumstances.

The second category, with more than 4,100 animals and 28,000 plant species, allows some international trade but only under permit. A third covers species which individual countries protect within their own borders.

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