AMSTERDAM, June 3 (Reuters) - A U.N. wildlife forum began a two-week meeting on Sunday to regulate global trade in endangered species of animals and plants.

Following are a few facts and figures about CITES, formally known as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora:

CITES is an agreement among 171 governments to ensure international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival and imposes controls on international trade in species.

CITES regulations apply to live plants and animals as well as body parts, such as ivory from elephant tusks or the fur of a fox or seal.

Species covered by CITES are listed in three Appendices:

- Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. It bans trade in about 530 animal species, including tigers and great apes, and a little more than 300 plant species, such as some orchids and cacti. Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in very special circumstances.

- Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled. It includes more than 4,460 animal species and 28,000 plant species, including all primates, cats, parrots, crocodiles and orchids not covered by Appendix I. - Appendix III contains more than 290 species that are protected in at least one country.

CITES members reach their decisions by consensus but if they fail to do so it goes to a two-thirds vote for major issues and appendix listings. Countries can also ask for a secret ballot.

At The Hague meeting, countries will be asked to consider proposals including:

FISH

SPINY DOGFISH - Germany on behalf of the European Union wants to place this shark species on Appendix II. The dogfish is over-exploited for its meat.

PORBEAGLE SHARK - Germany on behalf of the EU wants to add the shark, commercially valued for its meat and fins, to Appendix II because of population decline due to overfishing.

EUROPEAN EEL - Germany on behalf of the EU wants to place the fish, which spawns in the eastern Atlantic and migrates to coastal and freshwater ecosystems throughout Europe and the Mediterranean, on Appendix II. A popular food, eel stocks have declined dramatically due partly to overfishing.

PINK OR RED CORALS - The United States wants to list the most valuable of all precious corals on Appendix II because of over-harvesting and the destruction of entire colonies by bottom trawls and dredges. Pink coral is used for jewellery and other decorative items.

SAWFISH - Kenya, Nicaragua and the United States want to place the sawfish on Appendix I due to over-fishing. Their rostral saws, teeth and fins bring high prices and are used in traditional medicine and as curios, while live fish are sought for aquaria.

BANGGAI CARDINELFISH - The United States has called for managing this species, which has been popular in the aquarium trade since 1995, through the CITES permit system.

SPINY LOBSTER - Brazil wants to add the Caribbean and the smoothtail spiny lobster, which have been over-fished for export to international food markets, to Appendix II.

PLANTS AND TREES

ROSEWOOD - Germany on behalf of the EU wants to place three species of rosewood, sought after for musical instruments, on Appendix II. The trees grow only in parts of Belize, Guatemala and Mexico and are threatened by increasing deforestation.

CEDAR - Germany on behalf of the EU wants the cedar of Central and South America placed on Appendix II due to extensive deforestation. Its timber is valued locally for its resistance to rotting and insects and internationally as precious wood.

MAMMALS ELEPHANTS - Botswana and Namibia want to maintain the elephant populations of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe in Appendix II while easing the conditions for permitting future sales of ivory.

- Botswana requests authorisation for a one-off sale of 40 tonnes of existing ivory stocks followed by an annual export quota of up to eight tonnes of ivory per year.

- Kenya and Mali want a 20-year trade ban in raw or worked ivory from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The two say that allowing any trade in ivory will increase the poaching of elephants.

BOBCAT - The United States wants to take the bobcat or lynx out of CITES protection as the species are no longer threatened.

GAZELLE - Algeria wants to add three gazelle species, threatened with extinction, to Appendix I.

LEOPARD - Uganda wants to transfer its population of leopards from Appendix I to Appendix II to allow limited trade in sports trophies and skins for personal use.

SLOW LORIS - Cambodia want to transfer two species of the small, nocturnal primate native to South and Southeast Asia from Appendix II to Appendix I. The species are threatened by growing demand for traditional medicines and pets.

BLACK CAIMAN - Brazil wants to move its population of this species of crocodile, hunted illegally for its meat, from Appendix I to Appendix II.

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