From November 14-21, 2022, delegates from all over the world are attending CITES’ 19th Conference of the Parties (CoP19) in Panama to make decisions about wildlife trade. Born Free will be there, too. Decisions will be made on whether many species of wild animals and plants should be protected, how to better support law enforcement against illegal trafficking, and more.
Good News for Shark Species
There is good news for sharks to report! CITES has voted to include 54 species of sharks from the requiem family onto CITES Appendix II. Requiem sharks, which include blue, bull, and tiger sharks, are heavily targeted for the fin trade. Some of these species populations have declined by more than 70% in recent decades, and overall 37% of sharks are known to be threatened with extinction. Illegal, unregulated, and unsustainable fishing has been a major contributing factor in these population declines.
The decision to list these species onto CITES Appendix II is extremely important and means that their trade will now be subject to international regulations.
What is CITES?
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement between governments that aims to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten species’ survival. CoPs (Conferences of Parties) are held every three years and provide an opportunity for member States and other stakeholders to review progress in species conservation in order to adopt or amend proposals related to international trade and species protection.
What is Born Free doing at CITES CoP19?
CoPs offer advocate organizations like Born Free the chance to push for stronger protections for imperiled species. This year, at CoP19, Born Free USA will actively work to increase international protections for wildlife threatened by unsustainable and illegal trade.
Follow Born Free USA on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep an eye on our CITES hub, for updates from the Conference!