This year at the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) meeting in South Africa, thresher sharks, silky sharks and devil rays have been voted to receive protection under Appendix II. Currently there are only eight species of sharks that receive any protection from worldwide fishing under CITES. It is estimated that 100 million sharks are killed every year.
As agreed at the Bangkok Conference in March 2013, international trade in products from 5 species of shark and all species of manta ray will need to be accompanied by documents showing that they were sustainably and legally harvested from 14 September. CITES and the Food and Agriculture Organization on the UK (FAO) have been provided with funding by the EU and other bodies to implement and enforce the new regulations.
Delegates at the triennial meeting in Bangkok of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) have voted today to accept that oceanic whitetip (Carcharhinus longimanus), smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena), great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) and porbeagle sharks (Lamna nasus) be added to Appendix II of CITES. Appendix II lists species which are not necessarily now threatened with extinction but which may become so unless trade is closely controlled.
Wetpixel Senior Moderator Shawn Heinrichs has premiered his new film on Vimeo. Entitled “Mantas Last Dance”, the film serves as a finale to the Manta Ray of Hope Campaign. This aims to raise awareness to the plight manta rays prior to the CITES meeting, which begins this weekend. At the meeting, 177 member nations will vote on whether to grant international protection to certain highly threatened and endangered species, which for the first time this year, includes manta rays. There is a petition that needs your support to pressurize the CITES delegates into protecting these animals so if you haven’t done so yet, please sign now.