The Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA) yesterday welcomed a decision by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to increase protections for whale sharks, saying that Taiwan already designated whale sharks as protected species in 2020 and has helped them recover.
The 20th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from Nov. 24 to Dec. 5.
More than 3,400 attended the meeting, including about 1,000 government officials representing 163 countries, 209 organizations and more than 100 media outlets.
Photo courtesy of the Ocean Conservation Administration
Discussions at the meeting covered sea cucumbers, cartilaginous fish including whale sharks and whitetip sharks, marine ornamental fish such as clownfish and angelfish, and others, the OCA said.
There was a consensus at the meeting that further action is needed to protect cartilaginous fish, including stricter trade controls, as countries worldwide are concerned about these species, it said.
Attendees unanimously agreed to upgrade the whale shark from CITES Appendix II, covering species whose trade must be regulated, to Appendix I, which prohibits international trade in the species except under exceptional circumstances.
Taiwan designated whale sharks and giant manta rays as protected marine species on April 28, 2020, demonstrating that the nation’s conservation efforts are ahead of international trends, the OCA said.
According to the Act on Wildlife Conservation (野生動物保育法), those who harass, abuse, hunt or kill protected species are subject to six months to five years of imprisonment and fines ranging from NT$300,000 to NT$1.5 million (US$9,560 to US$47,801).
Whale sharks are often caught as bycatch, as their habitats overlap with common fishing areas.
The OCA said it set up an online platform to report bycatch incidents, and as of last month has worked with 27 fisheries to release 362 whale sharks and two manta rays, highlighting Taiwan’s conservation achievements.
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