More than 180 nations are joining conservation experts in Uzbekistan's Samarkand to discuss dozens of wildlife trade proposals.

The meeting brings together signatories to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a 50-year agreement protecting the world's most endangered animals and plants, and regulating trade in 36,000 species.

Among the most contested proposals up for debate is a call to increase protections for eels, a popular food in parts of Asia.

CITES regulates trade on animals and plants under different appendices depending on the threats they face.

Trade in Appendix I species, considered the world's most endangered, is almost entirely banned.

Appendix II species face additional scrutiny and certification before they can be traded.

Anguilla anguilla, or the European eel, is considered critically endangered and was added to Appendix II in 2009, but several countries want other eel species added now.

They argue eel species are effectively indistinguishable when young -- the point at which they are generally traded -- meaning the critically endangered Anguilla anguilla is often passed off as less threatened eels.

Top eel consumer Japan fiercely opposes the proposal and has launched a concerted lobbying effort against it.

In a submission running over 100 pages, Japanese officials warned listing all eel species would "undermine the credibility of this institution", could spike eel prices and cause "increased malicious poaching and smuggling".

- 'Disastrous' -

Other contested proposals include requests to allow government sales of elephant ivory and rhino horn stockpiles.

Advocates argue governments should be able to sell stocks to fund conservation, but many animal protection groups warn reopening sales will drive illegal trade.

"As soon as you open up that legal trade it just provides avenues for illegal ivory and illegal rhino horn to be laundered into those markets in Asia where it has caused so much problems," said Matt Collis, senior director for policy at the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

"CITES tried this twice in the past, the last time was particularly disastrous... The last thing we want to do is to go back to that," he told AFP.

Namibia, which is championing the proposal, insists funds are needed to avoid "progressive removal of rhinos from the landscape, shrinking habitat, and weakening national metapopulations".

CITES members rejected a similar proposal in 2022.

Greater protections for seven species of shark will also be discussed, including a total trade ban under Appendix I for the critically endangered oceanic whitetip.

Experts believe the measure is likely to win the two-thirds support necessary, but other amendments, including a bid to put trade limits on whale sharks and gulper sharks targeted for their liver oil, may face more scrutiny.

The Samarkand meeting, which runs until December 5, opened a day after countries rejected a call by the CITES secretariat to request India suspend imports of the world's most endangered species.

The recommendation came in a report made by CITES experts examining the controversial Indian mega-zoo Vantara, which has scooped up tens of thousands of animals.

The report endorsed long-running concerns from conservationists. But in talks Sunday on whether to adopt the report's findings, India rejected the suggestion it suspend Appendix I imports as "disproportionate, hurried and procedurally unfair".

It was backed by a string of countries, including the United States, which called the request "premature".

The US position is "purely political," said Lorene Jacquet, campaign and advocacy manager at 30 Million d'Amis, a French animal protection group.

She noted that as the discussions got underway, images emerged showing US President Donald Trump's eldest son visiting Vantara.

"We can now assume that the Trump administration will prioritise its political interests far above conservation at this meeting."