« Shark and ray advocates push for CITES listings of 18 species »
« Shark and ray advocates push for CITES listings of 18 species »
Government officials from the Dominican Republic, Maldives, and Senegal, shark scientist and shark conservationists will be available to media to talk about 18 of the most vulnerable species of sharks and rays, which have been proposed for listing on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
These shark and ray species have experienced population declines of greater than 70 percent. In some areas, they have been driven to localized extinction as a result of inadequate management, lack of international trade controls, and poor enforcement of existing management measures.
CITES Parties will vote on the proposals at the 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP18), which starts in Geneva on August 17 and continues through August 28.
Speakers
Dr. Abdulla Naseer
Minister of State for Environment, Ministry of Environment, Maldives
Dr. Rima Jabado
Founder and Lead Scientist, Elasmo Project
Mr. Luke Warwick
Associate Director, Sharks and Rays Program, Wildlife Conservation Society
Mrs. Karen Steuer
Senior Director, The Pew Charitable Trusts
Colonel Abba Sonko
CITES Management Authority, Senegal
Mrs. Ivelisse Figueroa
Head of the Dept. of Regulations and Controls, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Dominican Republic