Sea species overlooked

ENDANGERED terrestrial species will get the lion’s share of attention at the CITES CoP17, but marine species also need increased protection.

Shark scientist Dr Mark Bond, of Florida International University, said it was easier to recognise species on land whose survival was threatened than those in the ocean.

“On land you can count species. We can’t count sharks, only the declines. We know over 70% to 90% of the proposed shark species populations are declining in every ocean of the world,” he said. More than 100 million sharks are caught annually.

Every marine species is declining and CITES is important for their protection because it is an internationally binding treaty on the 182 countries and the EU which have signed it.

“Sharks do not recognise international borders and the only way to stop this global problem is to work together,” said Bond. “CITES provides data on the distribution of where catches are [made], being consumed and traded.”

Countries are uniting behind proposals by island nations to increase protection for 13 shark and Mobula ray species.

“For the first time, each proposal has more than 50 co-sponsors, the most any proposal has ever received in the history of CITES. This shows a recognition that this is a global issue.”

CITES protects eight species of sharks, two species of manta rays and all sawfish. This is a fraction of what is needed given that about 250 out of the 1 041 species of shark, ray and chimaera in the ocean are threatened with extinction.

The growing demand for shark fins to make soup is driving overfishing. Mobula rays are caught to make a tonic.

Bond said they had a low reproductive rate and the fishing put phenomenal pressure on their populations. — Claire Keeton