Excellent news for sharks and manta rays

New protections were agreed to for shark and manta ray protection in the world's oceans"


Sharks and Manta Rays Receive Protection Under CITES 

 "At this year’s Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Conference of the Parties meeting in Bangkok, countries agreed to increase protection for five commercially-exploited species of sharks and manta rays.  CITES member nations, referred to as “Parties”, voted in support of listing the oceanic whitetip shark, three species of hammerhead sharks (scalloped, smooth, and great), the porbeagle shark and manta rays in CITES Appendix II – an action that means increased protection, but still allows legal and sustainable trade."

 It's a start.  Every forward step in oceanic fish protection, no matter how small, is important, if we are to change the trajectory of  ocean overexploitation before it's too late and make the oceanic realm are partner, rather than merely a resource, in our journey to the future.

(Maybe that's too poetic.  But sharks are exploited for mainly their fins, which is cruel and feeds a greedy humanity that merely eats them for a novelty.  Changing their status is a important move, both symbolic and path-setting.)

Happier days for whitetip sharks