CITES CoP20 has agreed new international trade protections for sharks and rays.Proposals up for consideration for Parties at CoP20, co-sponsored by more than 50 governments, centered some of the most imperiled shark
CITES CoP20 has agreed new international trade protections for sharks and rays.
Proposals up for consideration for Parties at CoP20, co-sponsored by more than 50 governments, centered some of the most imperiled shark and ray species in the world and represent the most ambitious and comprehensive suite of shark and ray protections ever brought to the convention. All proposed protections passed, including:
• Appendix I (full international commercial trade ban) for oceanic whitetip sharks, manta and devil rays, and whale sharks.
• Zero export quotas (suspension of all exports of wild-caught specimens) for Wedgefish and giant guitarfish.
• Appendix II (regulated trade requiring permits and non-detriment findings) for gulper sharks, smoothhound sharks and the tope shark.
Together, these listings close major loopholes in the international market for fins, gill plates, meat, and other products – longstanding pressures that have accelerated population collapse across our ocean.
Globally, more than 37% of shark and ray species are threatened with extinction. Pelagic sharks have declined by over 70% in just 50 years, and reef sharks are now functionally extinct on one in five coral reefs surveyed worldwide. CITES remains the only global agreement with the legal authority to restrict international trade driving these declines.
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