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(DOHA)—Parties to the Convention on
International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES) failed to list the Oceanic White Tip shark
on Appendix II of the Treaty today. The demand for shark fin soup is
driving this species and many others to extinction.
“The
total volume of shark fins in international trade is staggering,” said
Linda Paul, Director of International Programs for Earthtrust, a member
of the Species Survival Network. “Last year nearly 14,000 metric tons
of fins worth more than US$308 million were internationally
traded.”
The large and highly-valued fins of
the Oceanic
White Tip are among the most sought-after by Hong Kong fin traders and,
as a result, the species has become a target of both legal and illegal
fishing. However, it is just one of dozens of shark species that are
being depleted because of the growing demand for fins.
Per unit weight, fins are the most
valuable shark product. Up to 100
million sharks are killed each year for their fins only. After the fins
have been cut off, the bodies of most sharks are thrown back into the
sea where they die. The meat of only a few species is retained for
food.
Pacific
islanders find this practice particularly offensive. “The cultural
importance of sharks to the indigenous Pacific island peoples and the
deeply-rooted social value of full utilization of any fish catch are
completely out of step with the current global practice of cutting off
a shark’s fins and throwing the rest away.” said Keone Nunez, a native
Hawaiian cultural practitioner. “There was an understanding that
nothing should be wasted.”
In 2006, the UN General Assembly
adopted a resolution in which it urged States to ban directed shark
fisheries conducted solely for the purpose of harvesting shark fins. In
2007 the UNGA adopted additional language that that urged parties to
consider taking other measures such as requiring that all sharks be
landed with each fin naturally attached.
Palau and the
United States proposed the Oceanic Whitetip shark for listing on
Appendix II, along with the endangered Scalloped Hammerhead shark and
its look-alike cousins, because the fin trade is decimating these
species. An Appendix II listing would regulate, but not ban the trade
in the fins of these species. In the future, the parties to CITES need
to condemn the appalling waste associated with killing sharks for their
fins only or there will many more shark species proposed for listing on
CITES appendices.
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