The IUCN/SSC Shark Specialist Group
Shark News 5: October 1995
|
An Update on the CITES Shark Resolution
Merry Camhi, National Audubon Society,
and Sonja Fordham, Center
for Marine Conservation
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES) was created in 1973 to protect species from
over-exploitation by international trade. Species that are threatened
with extinction and that are, or may be, affected by trade are listed on
Appendix I, whereas species that may become threatened if such trade
is not properly controlled are listed on Appendix II. As of October 1995,
130 countries are Parties to CITES.
Of the approximately 400 species of sharks in the world, about 100
species are exploited for the global shark trade. TRAFFIC (the wildlife
trade monitoring programme of WWF and IUCN) has reported that
international shark fin exports doubled between 1980 and 1990. The
rapid growth in shark fisheries has been driven primarily by the Asian
demand for fins, but sharks are increasingly exploited for their cartilage
and meat as well. Although no shark species are currently listed on the
CITES Appendices, delegates at the 1994 CITES meeting acknowledged
the impact that international trade may be having on sharks by passing
a unanimous resolution aimed at improving our knowledge of shark
populations in trade (see Shark News 3, p. 1).
The CITES shark resolution
The shark resolution directs the CITES Animals Committee to compile
and review existing data on the biological and trade status of shark
species subject to international trade, and to prepare a discussion paper
on these data prior to the 10th CITES meeting in June 1997 (see
resolution text in Shark News 4, p. 9). It also requests that the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in conjunction
with international fisheries management organisations, establish data
collection programmes for monitoring shark status and trade. New
information generated from these programmes will be presented at the
11th CITES meeting in 1999. The unprecedented resolution, spearheaded
by the delegations from the US and Panama, was the first time that CITES
members agreed to review the effects of international trade on a group
of species that was not already listed on the CITES Appendices.
Implementing the resolution
In March 1995, Dr Francisco Palacio, representing the delegation of
Panama, presented the CITES resolution to the FAO Committee on
Fisheries (COFI) and asked for COFI's support in fulfilling the resolution.
As a result, the Fisheries Department of FAO has agreed to collaborate
with CITES in the preparation of documents for an expert meeting on
shark status and trade. In addition, Dr Jose Castro, representing the US
delegation, requested information from CITES Parties to begin the
process of data collection and analysis as called for in the resolution.
Sharks were again on the agenda when the CITES Animals Committee
convened in September 1995 in Guatemala. Panama and the US
continued their leadership role at the meeting.
Panama, represented by Dr Palacio, suggested that FAO should be
the focal point for data collection and actions necessary to implement
the CITES resolution. The Chair of the Animals Committee noted,
however, that the resolution directs CITES to undertake certain actions,
such as the status review, and therefore it was neither possible nor
appropriate to ask another organisation, such as FAO, to take on
primary responsibility. Yet it was also noted that, because FAO has
significant experience with fisheries issues, their cooperation and
input will be very valuable to the Animals Committee in fulfilling the
terms of the CITES resolution.
Dr Castro, of the US delegation, gave a compelling presentation
to the Parties explaining why sharks are so vulnerable to fishing pressure
and international trade. In addition, TRAFFIC gave the Parties an update
on their 18-month study of the international trade in sharks and shark
products, which is being undertaken in cooperation with the IUCN
Shark Specialist Group (SSG). TRAFFIC and the Center for Marine
Conservation have teamed up to develop management
recommendations based on the trade study findings. The final joint
report will be published in 1996. The SSG, represented by Dr Merry
Camhi and Sonja Fordham, introduced the participants to an array of
global shark conservation initiatives that the SSG is currently undertaking,
including the production of a Global Shark Action Plan and an IUCN
Red List of threatened elasmobranchs. In helping to fulfil the resolution,
the SSG also plans to provide information to CITES on the status of shark
species, with an emphasis on those species most important in international
trade.
Where we go from here
It was decided in Guatemala that:
1) the CITES Secretariat will formally
request that all Parties submit data on their shark fisheries and trade to
the Secretariat;
2) these data will be provided to both Panama and the
US for analysis and report; and
3) Panama will host an expert consultation
early next year among FAO and other intergovernmental organisations
to discuss the current status of sharks, shark fisheries and international
trade.
NGO participation will be restricted to IUCN, TRAFFIC and other
organisations that have data to contribute to the goals of this meeting.
The use of CITES for marine fish conservation
Although CITES is considered to be one of the most successful
international wildlife conservation tools for species in trade, few marine
fish have received the conservation benefits of CITES to date. This stems
in part from the misconception that many marine fish populations are
inexhaustible and extinction-proof because of their wide ranges and
high fecundity.
In addition, marine fish, including sharks, have not benefited from
CITES because most people think of fish primarily as a food and
commodity. Yet fish are also wildlife. They are subject to the same
biological constraints, and therefore suffer similar impacts from
international trade, as many terrestrial wildlife species already monitored
or controlled under CITES. Sharks, in particular, can be seriously
threatened by such trade because their K-selected life history strategies
make them highly vulnerable to over-exploitation.
Because of the tremendous economic value of fish, there is strong
political resistance to addressing the problems of depleted and over-exploited
fish populations within the context of CITES. Contrary to the
concerns of many fishing nations, an Appendix II listing would only
regulate, not prohibit, international trade in sharks. Such regulation can
be used to protect species for their ecological value (i.e. keeping
populations at a level that maintains their role in marine ecosystems -Article
IV.3). Until shark fisheries throughout the world are managed by
effective management agreements, CITES may provide the best
mechanism to help protect shark populations from over-fishing, through
the monitoring and control of international trade.
Shark fishery management has always been hampered by a lack of
data on historical catches, imports and exports in shark products, life
history characteristics, and species-specific population status. The
information gained from this pivotal resolution could be a critical first
step toward the establishment of effective shark management
programmes.
SSG members interested in contributing information toward the
implementation of the CITES resolution should contact Sarah Fowler
or Merry Camhi at the addresses below:
Sarah Fowler
Nature Conservation Bureau, 36 Kingfisher Court
Hambridge Road, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 5SJ, UK.
Email: sarahfowler@naturebureau.co.uk
Merry Camhi
National Audubon Society, Scully Science Center,
550 South Bay Avenue,
Islip, NY 11751, USA
Email: mcamhi@audubon.org
|
|
|
|
|
