The 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP17) takes place in Johannesburg, South Africa (24 September - 5 October). The 182 nations meet up to vote and to put in place measures to control the trade in species that could be threatened with extinction.
Yesterday, devil rays (Mobula spp), silky sharks and thresher sharks were voted onto Appendix II of CITES!! Appendix II includes species in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid use incompatible with their survival and increase sustainability of the trade. This a huge step for the survival of the species that are frequently encountered but also fished or accidentally caught (by-catch) in the waters of Cape Verde.
CITES stands for Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. It is an international agreement between governments that aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. It is the only international and legally-binding treaty to control the trade in endangered species.
