Mako sharks have practically disappeared from the Mediterranean, and their numbers have plunged in other seas, too. Japan and China opposed a global initiative to save them from extinction but most countries endorsed it.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Potenski
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Delegates from 120 countries on Sunday adopted a proposal to protect 18 threatened species of sharks and rays, including makos, at the CITES global wildlife trade summit in Geneva, Switzerland.
The species will be listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Appendix II if the preliminary decision is endorsed.
Makos, the fastest shark species, are rapidly disappearing from the Mediterranean Sea, and their population is dropping in the Atlantic, Northern Pacific and Indian Oceans, too. They are often targeted for their meat and fins, which are used notably in shark fin soup — a popular dish in Asian countries, particularly China.
"These two species, the 'cheetahs of the ocean', play key roles as top predators in the world's high seas, and are highly valued for their meat, along with their fins, and are caught in huge numbers globally in commercial and recreational fisheries," Luke Warwick of the Wildlife Conservation Society said in a statement.
The deadly Mediterranean
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Mexico presented a proposal to list makos under CITES Appendix II, which means they cannot be traded unless it can be shown that fishing them won't threaten their survival.
"Fishing is the main threat being faced by sharks," said a delegate from the European Union, which backed the proposal. "We need much stronger measures" than national initiatives to prevent overfishing, he said during a heated debate in Geneva.
Japan and China opposed the proposal, arguing there was insufficient scientific data to prove that mako populations are declining as a result of trade in them.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said in March that 17 species of rays and sharks faced extinction.
'Global momentum'
The other threatened species include the wedgefish — a shark relative — and the giant guitarfish, the most threatened marine fish in the world.
"(Their) fins are the most expensive in international markets, where they are prized for use in shark fin soup," said Warwick.
Where have the sharks in the Adriatic gone?
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Megan O'Toole of the International Fund for the Protection of Animals (IFAW) said, "There is a real global momentum to save these species."
CITES can impose sanctions on countries that violate its rules.
"Today's listing reflects the realization that uncontrolled trade will decimate shark populations," said Elizabeth Murdock of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
For the first time, three species of sea cucumber — also hunted in Asia — were also listed in Appendix II, with a 12-month deadline for implementation.
WWF's Colman O'Criodain hailed the decision, saying the sea cucumbers, which are threatened by overfishing, play a crucial role in the health of ecosystems.
Over 100 countries also voted to ban trade in the smooth-coated otter, placing it on the CITES list.
International biodiversity day: Asia's most threatened species
More than 27,000 species worldwide are threatened with extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation and Nature. DW looks at some of the critically endangered Asian species, whose survival is at risk.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Lisnawati
Sumatran orangutan
The IUCN has classified the Sumatran orangutan, originally from Indonesia, as a critically endangered species. The Sumatran orangutan population is threatened by hunting and habitat loss. "Of the nine existing populations of Sumatran orangutans, only seven have prospects of long-term viability, each with an estimated 250 or more individuals," according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
According to the WWF, this Asian tiger species is almost extinct. Originally, this species could be found in parts of China. Around 60 of these tigers are now living in Chinese zoos.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Joe
Sunda pangolin
Sunda pangolin is one of the eight existing species of pangolins and is found throughout Southeast Asia. This species is facing moderate to severe threats of extinction. Sunda and Chinese pangolin are among the most threatened of all pangolins.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Lisnawati
Javan rhinoceros
The Javan rhinoceros, also known as the Sunda rhinoceros or one-horned rhinoceros, is a very rare member of the family Rhinocerotidae. Their horn is usually shorter than 25 centimeters and smaller than those of the other rhinoceros species. Only one population of Javan rhinoceros exists in the world now – in the Ujung Kulon National Park in western Java, Indonesia.
Image: Colourbox/Jean Vaillancourt
Sumatran tiger
This tiger species lives in the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It has been on the IUCN red list of endangered species since 2008. They are threatened by the habitat loss due to the expansion of palm oil plantations on the island.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/T. Fabi
Wild Bactrian camel
Unlike the single-humped Arabian camel, Bactrian camels have two humps on their backs. This species is found in parts of northern China and southern Mongolia. It is facing threats from residential development, livestock farming and ranching.
Image: picture alliance/ZUMA Press/Chapman
Saiga
Saiga's natural habitat is grassland and desert. Today, the sub-species saiga tatarica is only found in some parts of Kazakhstan and Russia. Apart from livestock farming and ranching, droughts and extreme temperatures caused by climate change have also threatened its survival.
Image: Imago/blickwinkel
White-bellied heron
The white-bellied heron, also known as the imperial heron, is a species of large heron that can be found from the eastern Himalayas in India and Bhutan to the northeastern Bangladesh and Myanmar. The natural habitat of white-bellied heron is forest, wetlands and grassland. The species' survival is at risk due to residential development as well as hunting and trapping.
Image: Imago/Nature Picture Library/S. Kadur
Russian sturgeon
This species can still be found in Iran, Kazakhstan and some Eastern European countries. Fishing, harvesting of aquatic resources and water pollution are dubbed the most imminent threats to Russian sturgeon.
Also known as Cao-vit gibbon, this is a kind of gibbon present in Southeast China and northern Vietnam. Until 2000, this gibbon species was thought to have been extinct, but in 2002, its small population was rediscovered in Northeast Vietnam.
