It’s been a good year for shark and ray conservation, and the latest victory in the fight to save the planet’s elasmobranchs was realized on November 9th through the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), an intergovernmental treaty that aims to protect terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range, and which includes 120 participating countries. Between November 4th and 9th, the 11th Conference of Parties to CMS met in Quito, Ecuador, to discuss whether or not to afford protection to a number of species, each one put forward for consideration by a member nation. No fewer than 21 species of sharks and rays were submitted for consideration, proving that awareness of both of their vulnerability and of the importance of conserving them is growing internationally. CMS legislation is split into two categories, Appendix I and Appendix II, with the former granting immediate protection to those migratory species threatened with extinction. The latter recognizes species that would benefit from CMS protection and encourages participating countries to reach collaborative conservation agreements on their behalf. At the 11th Conference of Parties, all 21 elasmobranch species proposed for listing were granted protection, either under Appendix I or Appendix II.
According to Sonja Fordham of Shark Advocates International, the “unprecedented actions [of the 11th Conference of Parties] more than triple the number of shark and ray species slated for enhanced conservation initiatives.” The 21 newly protected species include the reef manta, all nine species of mobula ray, and all five species of sawfish to be protected under Appendix I; the silky shark, all three species of thresher shark, and giant and scalloped hammerhead will be protected under Appendix II. The countries responsible for proposing these listings were the European Union, Egypt, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Kenya and Fiji. According to the Executive Secretary of CMS, Bradnee Chambers, “the proposals to list 21 additional shark and ray species on the Convention reflect the interest of a growing number of countries to promote the recovery of these biologically vulnerable and ecologically important fish.” As a result of this decision, fishing for those ray and sawfish species listed under Appendix I will be banned with immediate effect in those CMS countries through which they migrate.
The welcome decision of the 11th Conference of Parties to support elasmobranch conservation continues the momentum begun by other positive actions in recent months, including the new protections afforded to seven species of shark and ray granted by the 2013 CITES convention. This decision helps keep the spotlight focused on shark and ray conservation, and helps pave the way for further, desperately needed legislation. According to a study published earlier this year by the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, over a quarter of the world’s 1,000 elasmobranch species are threatened with extinction. The issues affecting these species range from bycatch to habitat destruction and pollution, with the biggest culprit being deliberate overfishing. Most sharks and rays are especially susceptible to population collapse because of the time it takes them to reach sexual maturity, and their low rate of reproduction.
Those species recently listed under the CMS appendices are particularly at risk of extinction. Reef mantas, for example, are believed to have suffered a decline of up to 86 percent in certain regions in the last eight years. They are targeted specifically for their gill rakers, which are prized in Asian medicine and cuisine. Sawfish have disappeared entirely from many parts of the world in which they were once prolific, and are now teetering on the brink of extinction thanks to the demand for their fins and their bizarrely shaped snouts. Populations of scalloped and great hammerheads have declined by between 60 and 99 percent in recent decades, and both species are classified on the IUCN Red List as globally endangered; silky sharks have disappeared by approximately 90 percent in some areas. Each of these species is highly migratory, which makes this protection crucial.
As well as forming a vital part of the marine ecosystem, a healthy population of sharks and rays can support a growing economy generated by the dive industry. “With increasing recognition of the economic benefits of associated tourism, divers’ voices are playing a key role in winning protections for these iconic species,” says Project AWARE’s Ania Budziak.
Those species approved for listing under the appendices of CMS on November 9th join a handful of other elasmobranchs already protected by the terms of the convention, the giant manta, the basking shark and the great white, listed on Appendices I and II, and the whale shark, the porbeagle, the short and long fin mako shark and the northern hemisphere populations of spiny dogfish, listed on Appendix II. The long-term value of these listings depends entirely upon the commitment of the participating CMS countries to implement and enforce agreed upon conservation measures. CMS requires each of these nations to submit updates of the steps they are taking to implement the Convention at least six months before each ordinary Conference meeting. Hopefully, this will ensure that the good intentions of CMS translate into effective actions; in the meantime, that elasmobranch conservation seems to have become a priority for international policymakers is cause for optimism.
