One of the problems is that CITES was originally 'invented' to
protect animals during the days that every woman (and quite some man)
wanted a fur coat and rich people wanted ivory statues etc.
Later on, someone remembered that Animals were not the only living
things on earth and they included plants without adapting the rules.
How could they have? Those who were on the job were either lawyers or
zoologist. And it is still that way.
Guido