Shark Trust Trustee, Sarah Fowler, who is in Brazil representing the Save our Seas Foundation, sends her personal insights back from the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species.

 

Two large hammerheads and all three thresher shark species are stimulating animated discussions at this week’s meeting of the 15^th Conference of Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS). This is because Ecuador and Panama (respectively) propose uplisting these species to Appendix I, the highest level of protection under CMS. Appendix I will require Parties to strictly protect them; it’s proposed because depleted populations have not recovered through collaborative management agreed under their current Appendix II status.

As usual, arguments against these documents include that these are fish covered by fishery regulations. However, as an example, because the Scalloped hammerhead travels thousands of miles in and out of territorial waters and through the high seas to feed and give birth, geographically-disconnected fisheries management measures aren’t effective in protecting this shark throughout its range, from shallow coastal nursery grounds, to its high seas feeding grounds, and the remarkable aggregations around oceanic islands such as the Galapagos, which bring millions of dollars into the local economy through dive tourism.

Two smaller, less charismatic, southwest Atlantic species, an angel shark and a smoothhound, are proposed for listing in Appendix II by the Conference host, Brazil. Other countries that fish these regional endemics are unenthusiastic, pointing out that they are already managed by fishery bodies. However, Brazil points out that this has not prevented a greater than 80% decline in these species since the mid 1990s.

Adding migratory species to Convention Appendices always attracts attention, but paper listings don’t reverse declines. CMS therefore encourages Parties to develop Concerted Actions (CA) and Species Action Plans (SAP) designed to improve the conservation status of species, and to report back to each Conference on their implementation. This Conference will receive reports on completed CAs (for a guitarfish and a wedgefish), continuing CAs (Blue shark), and new CAs for Basking shark (proposed for listing in CMS by the UK over 20 years ago), Sandtiger shark, and the devil & manta rays.

The Shark Trust has contributed to the development of a SAP for the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean population of Tope shark, which was warmly welcomed during its presentation to the Conference. Finally, the Shark Trust is actively engaged in promoting research, conservation and management for the CMS Single Species Action for Angelshark in the Mediterranean, following this species’ listing in both CMS Appendices less than ten years ago. On Thursday night, the Angel Shark Project hosted a reception supported by the Government of Monaco and WWF Mediterranean, spotlighting progress on area-based management in the region and the news of angel sharks returning to areas where they had become extinct. 

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Thresher Shark Banner Image: Gillian Marsh; Hammerhead Image: John Bantin