Media Release For immediate release, 11th March 2013

Sharks Receive Improved Trade Protection Measures

Bangkok, Thailand, 11th March—Governments at a United Nations meeting on wildlife trade today voted for better international trade controls for shark species that are in severe decline because of overfishing for their high-value fins and meat.

Three proposals were successful in listing five shark species under Appendix II of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

Under Appendix II strict measures will be put in place to regulate the international trade in the fins and meat of the species concerned. Governments have been given up to 18 months to implement the new measures.

Five species—Oceanic Whitetip, Scalloped Hammerhead, Great Hammerhead, Smooth Hammerhead and Porbeagle sharks—all obtained the two-thirds majority amongst voting governments to become included under Appendix II of the Convention.

They include the first sharks to be listed under CITES because of concerns over the level of trade in their fins. The Porbeagle is primarily traded for its meat. The global value of the trade in shark fin industry is estimated by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization to be around $478 million per year.

The sharks discussed at today’s meeting are particularly vulnerable to overfishing because they are all slow growing, late to mature, long-living and produce few young, which means it is difficult for populations to recover from overfishing.

Some populations of the shark species listed, including the Ocean Whitetip shark, have declined by more than 90%.

Previous attempts to list shark species impacted by international trade for their fins and meat at CITES have failed, in part because of disagreement over which body was the most appropriate one to manage marine species. They included the Porbeagle shark, which was initially voted onto Appendix II, but later the decision overturned during a final conference plenary session.

Conservationists were bitterly disappointed at the time, and while today’s decisions were warmly welcomed, the potential for them to be overturned later in the meeting remains.

“Todays’s outcome could be a turning point in how CITES can assist in the regulation of trade in marine species,” said Glenn Sant, Marine Programme leader with TRAFFIC.

“If accepted in plenary, this meeting will go down in history as the one where CITES finally realised its marine potential.”

“It’s a bittersweet day for sharks,” said Sant. “While their adoption on CITES is warmly welcomed, it’s a sad indictment that their populations have fallen to such a low level that such measures have become a necessity.

Also being discussed today are proposals to list Manta rays. The species are at risk of overharvesting because for similar reasons to sharks. They are predominantly caught for their highly valued gill plates.

About TRAFFIC

TRAFFIC is the leading non-governmental organization working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. TRAFFIC is a strategic alliance of IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and WWF. http://www.traffic.org

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The 2013 Budget

Among Thursday’s main talking points:

We are apparently on track for a margin-of-error $75 million surplus, now in sight for 2014/15. But this sickly creature is hobbling out of the lab on the basis of all kinds of facilitative conjuring: such as trimming by $200 million the amount of new spending next time around.

With this strictly nominal surplus in sight, the 1984-ish justification for eternal austerity will have a news talisman: namely, getting Crown debt down to 20% of GDP by 2020. More>>

Budget Report, Lockup Audio & Images: Budget Day 2013 As always and especially after the managerial mishaps of the past few weeks and months, (e.g. Aaron Gilmore, the Mighty River Power share float, the GCSB mishaps) Budget Day 2013 was always going to be a pageant of reassurance... More>>

Budget 2013 Comment: Plain Sailing, But It's No America's Cup Pattrick Smellie: Compared to the last four budgets, this year's reflects an economy moving out of recession and into calmer waters... Yet if the fastest annual growth rate we can expect over the next two years is 3 percent - with the Christchurch rebuild in full swing - then you'd have to say New Zealand's underlying low-growth problem is far from fixed. More>>

Auckland Discord: Govt’s Power Hungry Housing Approach A Threat - Labour

Last week the Government said this, ‘The Government commits not to use any proposed or existing powers ... to override the council's planning and consenting processes’. But its housing Bill says this; ‘If an accord cannot be reached in an area of severe housing unaffordability, the Government can intervene by establishing special housing areas and issuing consents for developers’. More>>

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Housing accords legislation passes first reading - Legislation For Housing Accords, Land Supply - Housing package improves affordability, access
• Greens - Budget numbers show National’s failure on home affordability
• Auckland Chamber of Commerce - Budget 2013: Housing intervention needed
• Out-Link - Gareth Morgan: Response to housing problem limp-wristed
• Earlier, Pre-Budget - Auckland Accord announced

Extending Protest Ban, Relaxing Permit Rules: Govt Abuses Urgency To Extend Anadarko Amendment

The Government is trying to pass legislation under urgency which would make the Anadarko Amendment – which limits protest at sea – apply to an additional 1.7 million square kilometres, the Green Party said today. More>>

ALSO:

• Parliament Today - Parliament Resumes To Pass Budget Bills
• Labour - Government to extend protest ban
• Greenpeace NZ - Oil Companies Lacking ‘Expertise’ and ‘Financial Ability’ Set to Be Handed Drilling Permits
• 2010 image via: Pacific.Scoop - Media watcher gives NZ press nil score card for China oil spill coverage