courtesy of Massimo Boyer
CITES (Convention on International trade in Endangered species of endangered Species of wild fauna and flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its objective is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. On March 14, the triennial CITES conference in Bangkok adopted important measures to protect certain species from over-exploitation, including some species of sharks and manta rays.
Environmentalists have marked an important point in their agenda. 176 nations are member of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species - an international treaty that regulates trade in wildlife in the world) decided that trade in some species of sharks and manta rays to be controlled
.CITES agreement is based on what is called "Appendices". plants and endangered animals are assigned to three different annexes:
- Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.
- Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival.
- Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade.
Appendix I includes leopards, lions and tigers, as well as 293 other species of mammals, 156 birds, 76 reptiles, 15 fish, 194 invertebrates and 301 species of plants (for complete list of species listed in three Appendices, visit the website of the CITES).
Although CITES is only intended to regulate the professions, prohibitions or restrictions on trade in animals and endangered plants could have a big impact on the survival of the species. Of course, every country has domestic laws and a different degree of implementation of international agreements, and by the time it is the main obstacle to the diffusion of a true international species protection law.
courtesy of Massimo Boyer
For example, to protect their own economic interests, some countries are known to report fishing catches much less than the real ones. It was recently discovered that China is underreporting its fishing taken abroad in more than one order of magnitude.
Some fish populations are already dramatically low and on the brink of extinction. Such is the case of many shark species (whose fins are sold for very high prices in Asian markets, and many of them come from Indonesia) and even manta rays, whose gills are becoming very popular in Chinese cooking.
During the last CITES meeting in Bangkok, after a long discussion where some pro-shark fishing countries like China and Japan have tried to avoid any ban on sharks and rays of trade, five species of sharks and manta rays have been included in the list of Annex II.
The oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus), scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrma lewini), great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran), the hammerhead shark (Sphyrna zigaena) and the porbeagle (Lamna nasus) are harvested in large numbers for their valuable fins. Mantas (Manta sp.) Are slow-growing, large migratory animals valid with small populations, highly fragmented. They have among the lowest reproductive rate of any marine animal, with females giving birth to one pup every two to three years, making them extremely vulnerable to overexploitation. gill plates Manta fetch high prices on international markets and were negotiated in large numbers in recent years.
From now on, these creatures should be traded with CITES permit and proof must be provided that they are sustainably harvested legally. These announcements mark an important stage in the involvement of CITES in marine species.
courtesy of Massimo Boyer
The only shadow on this decision is the final annotation: "The entry into force of the inclusion of these sharks and rays in Appendix II be delayed by 18 months to enable Parties to resolve technical and administrative issues ". This means that some traders will have enough time to fill their warehouses with shark fins and gill rakers, trying to get as much money as possible in the next year and a half.
Other species have also been reported under protection as a range of rosewood and ebony from Asia, Central America and Madagascar now under the regulations of the Convention. The rapid increase in demand for these valuable tropical timber has raised serious concerns that the unregulated logging depletes populations already rare species. Elephants, big cats and rhinos, already included in Appendix I, are still under pressure from a number of criminal groups involved in international trade.
At the end of the meeting, the Secretary General of CITES, John E. Scanlon, said: "This is a great day for CITES and wildlife of the world must be a huge effort to. negotiate treaties and make them work. the international community has decided today to make the most of this pragmatic and effective agreement to help along the path to sustainability in our oceans and forests. "
Let's see how this agreement will affect the Indonesian local fisheries. The main problem is recognizing the different species of sharks, especially if only fins are traded. Hopefully now there is a hope that we will be able to keep these wonderful animals around.