Shark conservation proposal was endorsed by US. The proposal expresses concern it would hurt poor nations and should be the responsibility of regional fisheries bodies. At the meting the opposition to the proposal came hours after the marine conservation group Oceana came out with a report showing that demand for shark fin soup in Asia is driving many species of these big fish to the brink of extinction.
A committee of the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES is expected to gain approval for the nonbinding measure, which called for increased transparency in the shark trade and more research into the threat posed to sharks by illegal fishing. The proposal failed to muster the two-thirds majority needed after China, Russia, Japan and several developing countries argued that shark populations aren’t suffering.
Glenn Sant, the global marine program leader for the conservation group TRAFFIC, told that those parties that disagree with listing commercially fished species on CITES making a stand. Many of the arguments used by China, Japan, Russia and several North African countries to oppose the measure were expected to be recycled by delegates later this week when proposals to tightening regulations on the shark trade are considered.
