Conservation groups have welcomed a decision by governments last Friday to impose strict measures on the trade of a valuable tropical hardwood known as ramin, which could help save the endangered orang-utan and the Sumatran tiger. at the 13th Conference of Cites Parties, held in Bangkok.

The listing of ramin in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species' (Cites) Appendix II was adopted by consensus of all 166 member countries

''We are absolutely ecstatic and we think it is an extremely important decision. It's a landmark decision not only because of ramin but also for other species which live in the forest,'' Susan Lieberman, WWF International's head of delegation to the conference, told IPS .