The 19th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP 19) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is being held in Panama City. India’s proposal for the induction of the freshwater turtle ‘Batagur kachuga’ earned the support of the parties in CoP 19 of CITES. CITES also lauded the result achieved by the country in operations initiated by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau namely Operation Turtshield, to eliminate poaching and illegal trade of freshwater turtles.