Regulated shark trade may save endangered species
- By Bradnee Chambers
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, March 27, 2013
Ban on finning
The US for example has banned finning in its waters since 2000 and has measures in place to prohibit the importation of shark-products without sustainable catch certifications.
Indonesia is working to set up shark sanctuaries to protect the species-rich marine areas in its waters known as the "Amazon of the Ocean."
The initiative adds to a growing list of sanctuaries that accounts for about 6.7 million square kilomaters of ocean which is now off limits to shark fishing.
Last year the European Parliament closed loopholes in the European Union's shark finning legislation and now prohibits landing a shark's fins without the rest of its body.
Also last year in a major shift in policy, China proposed banned shark fin soup from being served at banquets.
It is a clear sign that the country prefers environmental sustainability over its taste buds.
Brazil, another G20 country, is leading the way and has reviewed its fishing policies on sharks.
Brazil took the initiative in Bangkok by proposing several of the shark and shark family species to be put on the CITES appendices.
But the only real way to protect sharks is a combination of regulating trade of endangered species with ensuring they are protected in the waters where they migrate.
Sharks are highly migratory and do not respect national boundaries.
This is why, in addition to CITES, that countries also work with the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) to protect sharks when they are moving across national boundaries or are in high seas areas beyond national jurisdictions.
The CMS has developed an agreement called the Sharks MOU (memorandum of understanding) that is a legally non-binding agreement that aims to promote shark conservation, sustainable harvesting practices and protect shark habitats.
Missing link
The two UN conventions, CITES and CMS, have been working together for several years but the missing link has always been the trade of shark fins which is by far the largest threat to sharks.
The CITES agreement was a difficult one to reach with many countries including Japan against the measure.
Nevertheless it is an important signal and a step in the right direction towards strengthening international law for the protection of our most threatened species.
Threatened and near threatened shark populations may finally have a chance now to recover and ensure that sharks become a rare delicacy for the dining table rather than a rare delicacy for the environment.
Bradnee Chambers is the executive secretary of Convention on Migratory Species. Shanghai Daily condensed the article.
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