International summit approves shark protections, could drastically reduce shark fin trade
Delegates at a global summit on endangered species on Friday (November 15) approved plans to protect 54 new shark species, a move that has the potential to drastically reduce the lucrative but brutal trade in shark fins.
Members of the shark and hammerhead shark families will now be placed under strict trade controls under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The binding proposals were adopted by consensus on the final day of the two-week meeting. The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is held every two or three years. Delegates to the current session in Panama City come from 183 countries and the European Union.
"Proposition 37 was approved," said Shirley Binder, representative of Panama, who chaired the plenary session. The proposal was to protect the true shark family. Before the proposal was passed, Japan tried unsuccessfully to remove Jaws from the program.
The hammerhead shark proposal passed without debate.
Binder previously told AFP news agency that the "historic decision" meant that up to 90 percent of the sharks on the market would now be protected.
Asia's penchant for eating shark fins, or fins, has fueled the shark fin trade. Shark fins appear on dining tables in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan.
Although shark fin has been described as almost tasteless and gelatinous, shark fin soup is considered a delicacy, coveted by the very wealthy and often a signature dish at weddings and lavish banquets.
Shark fins represent an annual market of about $500 million and can sell for about $1,000 per kilogram.
Luke Warwick, director of the Shark Conservation Program at the NGO Wildlife Conservation Society International (WCS), said: "It will be remembered on this day that we turned the tide to prevent the extinction of the world's sharks and rays. .”
These shark species will now be listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Species listed on Appendix II may not yet be in danger of extinction, but unless their trade is strictly controlled, they could be.
"The key next step will be to implement these lists and ensure that they lead to stronger fisheries management and trade measures as quickly as poFrom bully to new favorite
, sharks have been in the ocean for more than 400 million years. Sharks have long been regarded as the bullies of the sea, appearing terrifying in movies like "Jaws." Shark attacks on humans also happen occasionally.
However, the profile of these ancient predators has undergone a radical transformation in recent years. Conservationists have highlighted the key role sharks play in managing marine ecosystems.
More than 100 million sharks are killed every year, Joaquin de la Torre of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) told AFP.
“Sharks and rays are the most threatened species, even more than elephants and big cats.”
Many shark species take more than 10 years to reach sexual maturity and have low fertility rates, so the constant pressure on these species Hunting has severely reduced their numbers.
In many parts of the world, fishermen cut off the fins of sharks at sea and throw them back into the sea, where they die tragically from suffocation or blood loss.
Conservationists' efforts reached a turning point in 2013. At the time, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora first imposed trade restrictions on some shark species.
Persistent overfishing
Delegates have been considering 52 proposals to change the protection levels of more than 600 species.
They also approved new protections for plowrays, alligators, frogs and certain turtle species.
Susan Liberman of the Wildlife Conservation Society said: "Many of the proposals passed here reflect the persistence of overfishing and unsustainable trade, as well as escalating illegal trade, some of which are due to The complex interaction of other threats that reduce wildlife populations, including climate change, disease, infrastructure development and habitat loss."
CITES, which came into force in 1975, has protected more than 36,000 wild species Created international trade rules.
Signatories to the convention include 183 countries and the European Unionssible," Warwick said.
