Page 28 - AT

A28 SCIENCE
Wednesday 28 august 2019

Extinction bites: countries agree to protect sharks and rays

quences since they are top
ocean predators and help
to balance the ecosys-
tems, Jabado said.
Scientists warn that al-
though warming oceans
and climate change are
also hurting sharks, it is the
demand for shark fin soup
that is threatening to drive
some species to extinction.
The Pew Trust estimates that
between 63 million and 273
million sharks are killed ev-
ery year, mostly to feed the
shark fin trade centered in
Hong Kong.
Dried shark fin can draw up
to $1,000 per kilogram. The
fins are often turned into
shark fin soup, a Chinese
delicacy that symbolizes
good fortune, in which the
gelatinous fin is served in a
broth whose recipe dates
back to the 10th-century
This undated photo made available by The Pew Charitable Trusts shows the wedgefish taken on the Protea Banks, just off the Kwa- Song Dynasty. Fishermen
Zulu Natal Province, in South Africa. often slice off a shark's fin
Associated Press while the animal is still alive
before tossing the writh-
Associated Press don't ban fishing these But proponents countered times," said Hideki Moro- ing carcass back into the
GENEVA (AP) — Countries sharks and rays, but any that stocks of sharks are in nuki, director of fisheries ocean.
have agreed to protect trade must be sustainable. a deep dive, with tens of negotiations at the Japa- While Chinese celebrities
more than a dozen shark The move isn't final but is a millions killed each year, nese Ministry of Agriculture, like retired basketball star
species at risk of extinc- key sign before an official and that measures need Forestry and Fisheries. "It's Yao Ming are trying to per-
tion, in a move aimed at decision at its plenary this to be taken now — with very, very important for us suade diners to abandon
conserving some of the coming week. what they call some of the in Japan to sustainably use the soup, many aren't con-
ocean's most awe-inspiring Conservationists applaud- most significant rules ever all those marine riches," he vinced.
creatures who have them- ed and exchanged hugs adopted for trade in shark said. He was among those "Shark fin soup is a Chinese
selves become prey to after the tallies. Opponents parts. who noted that even the tradition so why should I
commercial fishing and the variously included China, Rima Jabado, a shark ex- CITES secretariat had rec- stop eating it?" Wilson Kwan
Chinese appetite for shark Iceland, Japan, Malaysia pert and lead scientist of ommended rejecting the said outside a seafood res-
fin soup. and New Zealand. The U.S. the Gulf Elasmo project, mako shark proposal. taurant in London's China-
Three proposals covering voted against the mako said many of the species CITES concluded that "with town. "I know some people
the international trade of shark measure, but sup- included in the CITES pro- the possible but uncertain say it's cruel to sharks, but
18 types of mako sharks, ported the other two. posals are classified as "crit- exception of the Mediter- sharks are killers too."
wedgefishes and guitar- Critics variously argued ically endangered." Jaba- ranean, the population Last year, there were an
fishes each passed with a that the measures dis- do said there has been an of (mako sharks) does not estimated 66 unprovoked
needed two-thirds major- tanced CITES from its ini- 80% decline in the number seem to have declined be- shark attacks on humans
ity in a committee of the tial mandate to protect of wedgefishes, based on low the 30% threshold in dif- globally, including four fa-
World Wildlife Conference endangered land animals available data. Like gi- ferent ocean regions" and talities, according to the
known as CITES on Sunday. and plants, not marine life, ant guitarfishes, the enig- that "it is currently not pro- Florida Museum, which
"Today we are one step and insisted the science matic wedgefish has an jected that declines would tracks such incidents. It is
closer to protecting the didn't back up the call to elongated triangle-shaped continue." exceedingly rare for sharks
fastest shark in the ocean, increase protections. They head and can be found in Still, Jabado said some to bite humans — and
as well as the most threat- also noted that that millions oceans in Southeast Asia, species of sharks and rays when they do, it's often be-
ened," said Jen Sawada, of Mako sharks exist and the Arabian Sea and East are becoming so difficult cause they have mistaken
who directs The Pew Chari- even the CITES secretariat Africa. to find in the wild that sci- them for seals or other prey.
table Trusts' shark conser- advised against the pro- Makos are the world's fast- entists only often see them Conservationists say mov-
vation work. The measures tections. est sharks, reaching speeds when they are on sale at lo- ies like "Jaws" have unfairly
of up to 80 mph (nearly 130 cal fish markets. maligned society's percep-
kph). But they often get "How are we ever going tion of sharks and in turn,
caught up in the nets of to save these species if we made it difficult to garner
fishing trawlers hunting for only see them when fisher- support to protect them.
tuna. men bring them in?" she "People would be out-
Several countries with large said, adding that even if raged if they were serving
fishing fleets, including Ja- actions are taken now, it dolphins in restaurants,"
pan, opposed the measure will be decades before said Graham Buckingham
to protect mako sharks. shark populations start to of the British shark group,
"Japan has been highly de- recover. Losing more sharks Bite-Back. "But because it's
pendent on (live) marine and rays could also have a shark, they think it's per-
resources from the ancient other unintended conse- fectly OK."q