A series of proposals to increase protections for multiple shark and ray species were recently published by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) ahead of the organization’s 20th meeting in November – CoP20.
The proposals include added protections for whale sharks, oceanic whitetips, wedgefish, and manta rays. Under the new proposals, whale sharks, whitetips, and manta and devil rays would be listed under CITES Appendix I – the highest level of protection for wild species.
Under Appendix 1, a species is considered threatened with extinction, and any commercial trade of the species is banned except in special, exceptional circumstances.
According to a release from the World Conservation Society (WCS), in total, over 70 sharks and rays are being proposed for additional CITES actions during the organization’s next meeting.
“Just like the iconic land mammals afforded this strictest CITES trade protection, such as tigers or gorillas, these iconic marine animals that are already on the edge of extinction must receive the same protections,” WCS Director of Shark and Ray Conservation Luke Warwick said.
WCS said listing the species under Appendix I, along with additional “zero quota” proposals for other species, would help close enforcement gaps on the species and stop illegal trade.
Additional proposals for CITES include listing some species under Appendix II, which WCS said is necessary to combat trade of species that are sold for oil and meat. Under Appendix II, species are not described as threatened, but the determination indicates that without additional regulations or controls, it could become threatened soon.
“The world is at a tipping point for sharks and rays. More than 37 percent of shark and ray species are threatened with extinction, rising to more than 70 percent for species in international trade. We must act now to prevent irreversible losses,” Warwick said.
The move would represent a shift to additional enforcement on top of existing efforts to combat shark finning, which WCS said is now mostly regulated.
Environmental advocates pushed for CITES to adopt additional protections to end the global shark-fin trade at its last meeting, CoP19. That push ultimately resulted in CITES adopting new protections for 95 species of sharks and guitarfish, which increased their listings to Appendix II.
WCS said now that much of that trade has been tackled, CITES should look to other species like gulper sharks which continue to be traded for valuable liver oil so that the harvest of those species can be regulated and sustainable.
“In total, over 70 sharks and rays are proposed for CITES listing action at CoP20 via seven listing proposals, with more than 50 governments adding their names to these proposals – showing the growing recognition that the world’s shark and ray populations need strong conservation action now if they are to survive,” WCS said.
Panama, Ecuador, Brazil, Senegal, Benin, the E.U., and the U.K. have led the proposals, WCS said.
“Recent studies in the world’s shark and ray trade hubs reveal that CITES-listed sharks and rays are still entering trade in alarming numbers; stronger action is clearly justified,” Warwick said. “These scientifically justified proposals meet all CITES criteria. They offer a chance to act before it’s too late – before we lose these species and the benefits they can bring to coastal communities globally.”
