PREFACE

Since the UN organized the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) at Washington, D. C. in 1973, 143 States have signed the pact. Though Taiwan is not a member of this convention, we have followed the spirit of the Convention with the concept of the global village. We have established wildlife-related departments in colleges and universities and conservation agencies in the government administration system in order to promote the concept of wildlife conservation. Furthermore, as the wildlife conservation policy is continually being executed, all efforts on protecting wildlife in Taiwan have been recognized by the other countries.

The Council of Agriculture continues to support the conservation research plans. We expect to accomplish our goal in due time by providing support to, and getting involved in, many research organizations and schools. However, because of the overuse of the natural resources, many species of creatures become endangered and threat to extinct every year. Fortunately, through executing the pact of CITES in the past, we can see the improvement of the conservation and people have better realization on protecting wildlife.

From the beginning of time, the relationship of mollusks and humanity is very close. But most reference books of shells were confined in the area of research, and investigation of regional shells and illustrated handbooks of specific species. Mollusks in CITES, however, is a collection of the order of mollusks which belong to the protected mollusks. Because of these mollusks are the species of the CITES Appendix I and II, the Chinese edition of this book provides law enforcement personnel a reference of executing the Wildlife Conservation Law. The fine pictures and the index of common name and scientific name can also provide the public with material for teaching, investigation, advertisement, and research study. It is our hope that the publication of the English edition of MOLLUSKS IN CITES will provide a useful identification tool for international conservation community. Finally, I would like to extend my special thanks to Dr. Wen-lung Wu, a professor at the Institute of Zoology in Academia Sinica, for his research achievements and compilation of this book.