The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has decided to adopt new controls in regulating international trade of all manta ray species and five shark species.
Starting Sept. 14, the trading of shark and manta ray species, and their fins, gills and meat, will require certificates and permits to ensure that a sustainable and legal harvest of such species is implemented.
“Regulating international trade in these shark and manta ray species is critical to their survival and is a very tangible way of helping to protect the biodiversity of our oceans,” says John E. Scanlon, CITES secretary-general.
He adds that the practical implementation of the listings will include determining sustainable levels of export, verifying the legality and classifying meat, gills and fins for trade. He believes it may appear challenging initially but is doable by working together with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and other agencies and stakeholders.
“FAO will continue its effort and work closely with CITES on immediate actions in support of the implementation of CITES listings of sharks and manta rays, including the provision of legal assistance for fishery legislation, support to the development and implementation of National Plans of Action for sharks and rays, and activities on traceability,” said Árni M. Mathiesen, assistant director-general of FAO's Fisheries and Aquaculture department.
The new CITES controls will apply to the following shark species: oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus), great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran), scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus) and smooth hammerhead shark (Sphyrna zygaena).
According to the new regulations, exports and re-exports of these listed species will be prohibited from any of the 180 state parties, except if these have received permission from the designated authorities.
The importing consumer states, meanwhile, will ensure that there are proper certificates and permits included in all shipments.
The initiative, according to CITES, is made to stop the over-harvesting of certain shark and manta ray species for international commerce. Customs authorities will declare and control trade over these species and will report the activities to the CITES secretariat before making the data public.
CITES also reveals it has witnessed over the previous 18 months a universal collective effort to make way for the enactment of the new listings from several countries across each region, non-governmental organizations and intergovernmental bodies.
“It is through global, regional and national collaboration that we will effectively implement these new listings. This global collaborative effort is the most comprehensive we have seen in the 40-year history of the Convention to prepare for the implementation of a new CITES listing," Scanlon concludes.