At 40, CITES turns its attention to sharks - Mission Blue

March 4, 2013

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Delegations from 177 countries are convening in Bangkok starting today, marking the 16th gathering of parties to the international conservation agreement known as CITES. This remarkable agreement has offered protection to over 4,500 animal and 30,000 plant species from depletion and extinction for 40 years.

At the top of the agenda in 2013 are sharks, of which up to a hundred million are killed each year according to a recent study in the peer-reviewed journal Marine Policy. Given the rapacious shark finning trade, this year's conservation focus on these majestic animals is timely and the ocean community is pushing hard for the delegates to add shark and manta species to the Appendix II of the treaty. This simple action would regulate commercial trade of these species and put a much needed brake on over exploitation.

Only three shark species currently have global protection through the CITES treaty: great white, basking and whale sharks. Up for addition to Appendix II protection this year are scalloped hammerhead sharks, porbeagle shark, oceanic whitetip shark and the manta ray. 

Infographic

The data is staggering: 98 percent hammerhead loss in the western Pacific, 90 percent porbeagle shark loss in the northern Atlantic, 99 percent oceanic whitetip shark loss in the Gulf of Mexico, 85 percent loss of Mantas in several regions. All of these shark species are under intense pressure from shark finning, which claims the lives of up to 2.7 million scalloped hammerheads and 1.3 million oceanic whitetip sharks a year. It’s also estimated that more than 4,000 mantas are killed annually for use in Asia in a purported health tonic.

These next two weeks will be exciting times for ocean conservationists. Join 120,000 other shark activists and make your voice heard by signing this petition to extend Appendix II protection to the hammerhead, porbeagle, whitetip and mantas. Through cooperation and action, we as a global community have the power to save sharks from depletion and extinction.

Mission Blue will have coverage of the CITES treaty convention news as it unfolds. Stay tuned!

Photo: (c) Project Aware.

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