Conservationists at a global wildlife conference yesterday voted to regulate the trade of shark species that have been threatened because their fins are used to make expensive delicacies in Asia.
Delegates at the triennial meeting in Bangkok of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora adopted the proposals to put the oceanic whitetip, hammerhead and porbeagle sharks on a list of species whose trade is closely controlled.
More than two dozen species of shark are officially endangered, and more than 100 others considered either vulnerable or near threatened. Like manta rays, sharks are seen as valuable to nations with dive tourism industries, with island territories such as the Bahamas, Fiji and the Maldives deriving major benefits. Eleven nations, including Brazil, the US and Egypt, proposed regulating trade in the species.
The oceanic whitetip proposal passed in a secret ballot with 92 votes in favor, 42 against and eight abstentions, while the hammerhead proposal passed with 91 votes in favor and 39 against. The porbeagle proposal was adopted with 93 votes in favor, 39 against and eight abstentions.
Sonja Fordham, the founder of US-based Shark Advocates International, said in a statement she was pleased with the votes.
“These highly traded, threatened shark species urgently need protection from the unsustainable trade that jeopardizes populations, ecosystems, livelihoods, and ecotourism,” she said.
Supporters said the species’ numbers have declined due to overfishing and being accidentally caught by fishermen chasing other types of fish.
Japan and China were among the proposals’ opponents. They argued that shark population control should be handled by regional fisheries management organizations.
Threats against oceanic whitetip and hammerhead sharks are driven by demand for their fins, while porbeagle sharks are targeted primarily for their meat in Europe.
The non-profit Pew Environment Group said Hong Kong is the world’s biggest shark fin market, with 83 countries exporting more than 10.3 million kilograms of shark fin product there in 2011.
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