A Bad Day For Sharks

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)  is going on this week in Doha, Qatar. There is the possibility for some substantial steps forward in both shark and blue-fin tuna conservation during the convention. However,  things took a bad turn yesterday when a non-binding measure calling for a non-binding measure which called for increased transparency in the shark trade and more research into the threat of illegal shark fishing failed to pass.

The U.S. endorsed proposal was expected to be approved but the opposition lead by  China, Japan and Russia was strong enough that the United States, EU and other supporters couldn't get the needed two-thirds majority needed to pass the measure.

According the the Associated Press, China and Russia argued that shark populations are not suffering, while Japan declared that the current measures to protect sharks are adequate. These statements came right after Oceana released a report highlighting the fact 10,000,000 kg of shark fins are entering the Hong Kong market each year, the equivalent of over 2,000 African elephants.

The AP also reported that some Northen African developing countries like Libya and Morocco insisted that efforts to protect sharks would damage the economies of poor fishing nations.

This a bad sign for shark protection at CITES, where eight species have been proposed to be listed under Appendix II of CITES. The U.S., EU and Palau have taken charge in proposing that the oceanic whitecap, scalloped hammerhead, porbeagle and spiny dogfish as well as four "look a like species" (species that are hard to differentiate from the scalloped hammerhead and, thus, should be protected too) should be protected.  It is expected that the same arguments will be made against protecting these sharks, which is clearly not a good sign.