Sweeping Trade Protections Adopted for Sharks and Rays

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. For many species already in freefall, these landmark decisions at CoP20 may mean the difference between recovery and extinction.

Luke Warwick, Director of Shark and Ray Conservation at the Wildlife Conservation Society, said: “This is a landmark victory, and it belongs to the Parties who championed these protections. Countries across Latin America, Africa, the Pacific, and Asia came together in a powerful show of leadership and solidarity, passing every shark and ray proposal tabled for the CoP covering over 70 species.

“These decisions could not be more urgent: sharks and rays are the second most imperiled group of species on the planet, and many are running out of time. These animals are vital to the health and balance of our oceans, shaping entire marine ecosystems integrity and underpinning cultural heritage for Indigenous Peoples and local communities all over the world.”

More than 3,000 have gathered in Samarkand for CITES CoP20, The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, as 185 countries consider proposals to prevent trade from threatening the survival of wild species.