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Stricter shark and manta ray trade rules enforced from today

CITES: permits needed to protect biodiversity of our oceans

Vid Manta ray species and five types of shark now have greater protection from international trade, following new measures that were adopted last year.

From today, anyone without an adequate permit will be banned from selling meat or fins taken from oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus), scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran), smooth hammerhead shark (Sphyrna zygaena), porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus) and all varieties of manta ray (Manta spp.).

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) said that the United Nations backed the new regulations. The food and agriculture wing of the agency (FAO) added that it would offer fishery law assistance to help better protect the listed sea creatures.

Shark fin soup is a popular dish in parts of Asia, and is regularly served at weddings and banquets in that region. Shark meat is also found in fish and chip meals in Europe, CITES said.

Its Secretary-General John Scanlon said:

Regulating international trade in these shark and manta ray species is critical to their survival and is a very tangible way of helping to protect the biodiversity of our oceans.

The practical implementation of these listings will involve issues such as determining sustainable export levels, verifying legality, and identifying the fins, gills and meat that are in trade. This may seem challenging, but by working together we can do it and we will do it.

The European Union spent €1.2m to help fund the new trade listings. ®

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