Governments at the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) have agreed to significant new protections for some of the world’s most endangered species of large sharks.
The decisions adopted at the the 15th Conference of the Parties (CoP15) in Campo Grande, Brazil last week included new listings of Hammerhead and Thresher sharks on CMS Appendix, I, the highest amount of protection provided internationally.
Read MoreAt the CMS COP15 conference (March 2026), key proposals include listing three thresher shark species—pelagic, bigeye, and common thresher on Appendix I for strict protection. Other sharks proposed for protection due to population declines include great and scalloped hammerheads, various angelsharks, and wedgefishes.
Read MoreFor far too long, the soupfin shark has faced a relentless onslaught of threats, pushing its global populations to the brink. At the latest Conference of the Parties to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), soupfin sharks achieved international protection from trade.
Read MoreThe Oceanic Whitetip Shark (Carcharhinus longimanus} has been officially uplisted to CITES Appendix I at the 20th Conference of the Parties (CoP20) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.The good news doesn’t stop there. CITES CoP20 saw an unprecedented commitment to marine conservation, with every shark and ray proposal tabled receiving adoption. This comprehensive suite of protections covers over 70 species and is a watershed moment for ocean wildlife.
Read MoreToday, Shark Stewards launched a new youth oriented social media campaign to stop IUU fishing, Overfishing sharks and generating a youth movement to defend marine protected areas in the USA.
The campaign is directed at young and first time voters in the US to focus on changing the congress in 2026 to support maintaining legal protection of US marine protecetd areas, and support funding for Climate science, USFWS and NOAA so that agencies can effectively fulfill their mission.
Read MoreSharks are facing an unprecedented crisis. According to recent studies, more than 37% of shark and ray species are threatened with extinction, with this figure rising to a staggering 70% for species involved in international trade. These statistics underscore the critical importance of strengthening global protections for these vulnerable marine predators.
Read MoreAs a U.S. nongovernmental organization Shark Stewards will attend CoP20 as a participant advancing the Oceanic Whitetip shark, Whale shark and Gulper Sharks. In addition we will be advancing the proposal with Mexico to increase Hammerhead sharks to Appendix I: the highest level of protection for trade available.
Read MoreSince the 1950s industrial fishing pressure has increased 18 times. Many populations of pelagic fish like swordfish and tuna have declined severely and sharks have suffered most. Scientists estimate that […]
Read MoreCurrently in the news is an account of unusual spinning behavior and deaths in an Unusual Mortality Event, potentially attributed to a neurological pathogen off the coast of Florida. The global populations of all five sawfish species have experienced historic declines greater than 90% due to fisheries overexploitation (directed and bycatch) and habitat loss. Consequently, three species are listed on the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered, and two species are listed as Endangered. There is a very real risk that these unique species will be lost without urgent conservation action
Read MoreThe requiem and hammerhead shark families include some of the most endangered species of sharks. Important apex predators, hammerheads and requiem sharks are among the highest traded fins in the Asian market. New research shows that 37% of all sharks are threatened with extinction, the highest percentage among vertebrate groups in the ocean. Pelagic (open ocean) sharks have declined over 70 percent in the last 50 years. Additionally, reef shark populations were found to be functionally extinct on 20% of coral reefs surveyed around the globe.of all species in the shark fin trade are endangered.
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