Whitetip sharks obtain protection: UN

The critically endangered oceanic whitetip shark has become the first of more than 70 shark and ray species proposed for greater protection to receive the highest safeguards at an ongoing UN wildlife meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

The species has now been uplisted to Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES — a decision that bans all commercial international trade in sharks and their products.

The decision was adopted at the 20th Meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties, held from Nov 24 to Dec 5.

Conservationists welcomed the move as a historic milestone that could help prevent the species from extinction.

Barbara Slee, a senior program manager at the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said: "This was our last hope for the oceanic whitetips. For too long, these sharks that have roamed our oceans for millions of years have been slaughtered for their fins and meat. But this listing might just spare them from extinction".

Luke Warwick, director of shark and ray conservation at the Wildlife Conservation Society, said: "Today's decision is a watershed moment for all sharks and rays."

"For the first time in CITES history, a shark species has received full protection with a complete ban on international trade. Countries have sent a clear message: ocean species deserve the same urgency and protection as wildlife on land, and the world will not stand by and watch as iconic sharks slip toward extinction."

Lester Gittens, lead delegate from the Bahamas, stressed the economic and ecological importance of sharks.

"Sharks support jobs across our islands and further declines of this species benefit no one. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the term critically endangered — the next category is extinct in the wild. We cannot take that risk," he said.

The Wildlife Conservation Society noted that oceanic whitetips have suffered declines of 80 to 90 percent or more in just three generations. The Appendix I listing is expected to halt international commercial trade of the species, remove incentives for illegal fishing, and give the species a chance to recover.

Declining population

The decision comes amid mounting scientific evidence of global declines in shark populations.

A report published in Science Advances on Nov 5 found that more than 37 percent of shark species are threatened with extinction due to overexploitation, risking the integrity of global marine ecosystems.

The study attributed this to poorly managed fisheries, domestic demand for low-value protein and international demand for high-value shark products such as dried fins.

A study published in the journal PLOS One found that even coastal marine protected areas are showing signs of severe ecological stress, with very few large predators and low fish abundances.

Scientists described this trend as "fishing down the food web", where the removal of large species forces fishers to target increasingly smaller species, ultimately driving ecosystems toward collapse.

"The fact that we observed only a small handful of sharks and large predatory fish in these coastal marine protected areas is worrying, especially as there are past records of them in these areas," said Simon McKinley, a research scientist at the nonprofit organization Charles Darwin Foundation.

Further discussions at the meeting will address additional proposals for shark and ray species.

More than 3,000 delegates are attending the meeting, where governments are considering measures to ensure that international trade does not threaten the survival of wild species.