Conservationists are hoping to strengthen regulations at a wildlife trade conference on birds, reptiles and other animals that are seeing their numbers decline due to the exotic pet trade.

Valuable eels are in decline all over the world, leading to a new push for restrictions on trade to try to help stave off extinction.

An international wildlife conference has moved to enact some of the most significant protection for shark species targeted in the fin trade and scores of turtles, lizards and frogs whose numbers are being decimated by the pet trade.