Cities Appendix II listing

PEW TRUSTS Video Transcript

- Once considered one of the most abundant sharks in the ocean.
- They are currently suffering declines of 70-90% wherever they are found.
- The international shark fin trade is the principal driver behind their overexploitation.
- There is inadequate control over the number that can be caught, sold or traded every year.
- An Appendix II listing would limit the trade to sustainable levels.
- This September, 182 Parties will decide whether or not to give this species the protections it so desperately needs.

Parties should vote to list silky sharks on CITES Appendix II at COP17.

A listing on CITES Appendix II means that the trade of that animal must be controlled in order to avoid endangerment and extinction. If the person/company/country etc cannot show proof of sustainability, then the animal cannot be traded. This, in effect, leads to their protection, as it is nearly impossible to prove sustainable trade of these animals.

For more information about CITES, check out their website here.