Shark and ray conservation has never been more important. Ecology groups and conservationists have been promoting awareness for decades; now, a group of 35 countries have come together to improve conservation and provide international trade protection for several vulnerable species. Finally, the message ecologists have been shouting from the rooftops for years is making the rounds through the halls of governments around the world: Protecting sharks is about keeping the planet’s oceans healthy.
Putting a Stop to Unregulated Shark Fisheries
Two types of Manta rays and five vulnerable shark species are being considered for international protection under a new treaty designed to regulate commercial wildlife trade. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was established in 1975 and is widely recognized as one of the best-enforced and most effective international conservation arrangements. It currently protects more than 30,000 species around the world, and it has been instrumental in effectively preventing the extinction of many plants and animals.
Many do not realize that the international trade of wild animals, plants, fish, and other marine life is actually a multibillion-dollar enterprise. Many animals and fish, including manta rays and sharks, are overexploited for international trade. In addition, they suffer habitat degradation and loss, as well as other pressures including climate change.
The species being considered for new protections include:
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Manta Rays, including reef mantas and oceanic mantas, are used in Asian medical products, with the gill rakers being considered the most valuable part of the fish by those who purchase them. Both manta species are listed as vulnerable by IUCN.
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Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks, which are globally endangered, and which are found along warm, temperate coastlines. Smooth Hammerheads and Great Hammerheads are also being considered for protection, as all three species are targeted by shark finning operations, and as their fins are indistinguishable from one another.
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Porbeagle Sharks, which are small sharks found in cold to temperate waters worldwide. These sharks are classified as critically endangered in some portions of their range. These sharks are taken for their meat as well as for their fins.
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Oceanic Whitetip Sharks, which are largely traded for their fins. These sharks are listed as vulnerable globally, and as critically endangered in some portions of their range.
The governments currently involved in providing international trade protection include:
- Brazil
- Comoros
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- All Members of the European Union
- United States of America
- Mexico
- Honduras
In addition to creating better enforcement for regulating the international shark and manta ray trade, some nations are improving laws aimed at banning the possession, trade, and sale of certain shark products, and to end commercial shark fishing in sanctuaries that cover vast areas of coastal and open ocean environments. For example, the Cook Islands has created a 1.9 million square kilometer shark sanctuary, and French Polynesia has created the biggest shark sanctuary in the world, covering over 4.7 million square kilometers that comprise the nation’s entire exclusive economic zone.
Every year, as many as 73 million sharks are killed, mostly to support the shark fin trade. With new regulations and protections in place, including new conservation efforts by nations participating in this effort, these important predators have a better shot at future survival.