Now sharks fail to gain protection at CITES

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Responding to the failure of governments at CITES to list several species of sharks on Appendix II of CITES, Greenpeace International Oceans Campaigner Oliver Knowles said: “Yet again governments have failed to protect species that are massively in need of safeguarding from highly destructive fishing.

Doha,International— Responding to the failure of governments at CITES to list several species of sharks on Appendix II of CITES, Greenpeace International Oceans Campaigner Oliver Knowles said:“Yet again governments have failed to protect species that are massively in need of safeguarding from highly destructive fishing.

“Itis estimated that 73 million sharks are killed every year – by failingto agree any level of protection at CITES there is nothing to stop thismassive rate of killing from happening year after year. This is aserious threat to the existence of many shark species.

“The devastating result this morning sees hammerheads and oceanicwhitetip sharks join the Atlantic bluefin, and red and pink corals, asvictims of short-term economic interest winning out over efforts tosave species from extinction at this CITES meeting.”

The following species of shark failed to gain listing on AppendixII of the CITES Convention this morning: Scalloped, Great and SmoothHammerhead and Oceanic Whitetip Shark. The Sandbar shark and the Duskyshark were removed from proposals following amendments during theplenary discussion

There will be further votes this afternoon on the Porbeagle shark and the Spiny Dogfish.

Responding to the progress of the CITES COP 15 so far, Greenpeace International Oceans Campaigner Oliver Knowles said:

“Proposal after proposal designed to protect massively overfishedmarine species have failed to pass at CITES. It’s an appalling result,the impacts of which will effect our marine environment for generationsto come.”

“ Governments at CITES have in the past had a good track record ofprotecting rare species, but can they rise to the challenge ofprotecting species which are now seriously depleted, and simultaneouslyworth a lot of money? Sadly, the signs from this meeting are not good.It’s clear that more and more governments attending CITES are nottrying to protect species, but safeguard what they see as “commodities”that they can continue trading.”

ENDS

Contact information

• In Doha, at the CITES meeting

  Oliver Knowles, Greenpeace International oceans campaigner +44 7545 007 631Sebastian Losada, Greenpeace International oceans policy expert (speaks Spanish), +34 626 998 254John Frizell, Greenpeace International oceans campaigner +44 7801 212 999

  In Amsterdam

  Jo Kuper, Greenpeace International communications +31 6 46 16 20 39

  Steve Smith, Greenpeace International communications +31 6 43 78 73 59

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