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Under international and Australian wildlife protection laws, it is illegal to import, export or trade in items that are on the CITES list of endangered species unless the appropriate permits have been issued.  CITES refers to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

The export, import, sale and use of endangered species by unethical traders and practitioners has been the source of substantial negative publicity for the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) profession.  It needlessly damages the professional reputation of bona fide practitioners and traders in Australia who comply with wildlife protection laws. 

In April 2007, the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association Ltd entered into a funding agreement with the Department of the Environment and Water Resources, now the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA), to establish and administer a collaborative certification scheme for professionals and traders involved in the research, recommendation, prescription, supply, export or import of traditional Chinese medicines.

根据国际和澳大利亚的野生动植物保护法，进出口易属于《濒危物种国际贸易公约》（CITES）濒危物种目录上的物品是非法的，除非已获得合适的许可证。

由于不道德的商人和中医执业人员出口、进口、销售和使用濒危物种，是长期以来对中医（TCM）行业造成实质性负面宣传的根源。它毫无必要地损害了真正的中医执业人员的专业声誉和遵守野生动植物保护法的在澳贸易商。

在2007年4月，澳大利亚针灸中医协会与环境和水资源部，即现在的环境，水利，遗产和艺术部（DEWHA）签订了资助协议，为专业人士和贸易商涉及中医的研究、产品推荐、处方、供应、出口或进口而设立及实施一个合作认证方案。