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The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) met this week in South Africa, and decided to extend protection for several species of sharks and rays.

The news started breaking on Facebook pages of environmentalists, but was quickly confirmed in a press release. Silky sharks, thresher sharks, and devil rays will receive further protection by being placed under Appendix II. This designation allows for trade only if it is not detrimental to the survival of the animal.

"Sharks fins and ray gills are some of the world's most profitable fish commodities, unregulated catches are common, and there are few monitoring and reporting systems in place to track them,” Dr. Elsayed Ahmed Mohamed, Regional Director, Middle East and North Africa at IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare), said in a statement.

“A lack of reliable trade data and population statistics leads to a lack of protection measures. This decision will help change that,” he added.

The proposals were submitted by the Maldives (silky sharks), Sri Lanka (thresher sharks), and Fiji (devil rays). Learn more, here.