Increased trade protection for polar bears and sharks are on the agenda of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) next week in Bangkok, officials said Thursday.
"We expect proposals on polar bears, sharks and manta rays will go to a vote," convention secretary general John Scanlon said.
The CITES meeting, which is to begin Sunday and run through to March 14, is drawing more than 2,000 delegates from 177 countries.

Twice each year, I make the 36-hour voyage to Cocos Island, 350 miles from the Costa Rican mainland, to tag hammerhead sharks and sea turtles. This journey is well-worth the effort - Jacques Cousteau described Cocos Island as the most beautiful island in the world, and I wholeheartedly agree!

These sharks are on most every diver's bucket list - hammerheads. With their unusual and very distinct shaped head, these incredible sharks are awe-inspiring. To experience hammerheads in the wild is an absolute dream come true for many scuba divers.

Incredible, breathtaking, mesmerizing. There are so many words to describe a manta ray encounter and if you've been lucky enough to dive with one, you'll never forget the experience.
Sadly, both the giant manta and reef manta face an uncertain future. Globally threatened and exceptionally vulnerable, intensified fishing pressure in warm waters around the world is pushing mantas to the brink. Yet, in just a few days time CITES delegates will have the power to change manta's fate.

The oceanic whitetip may not be as famous as it's great white or whale shark relatives but it could soon gain the same level of protection through its listing on Appendix II of CITES.

We've done it. We've made our final push towards securing the very best protection for Australia's marine wildlife.
After four years of campaigning, our global movement has once again shown our unique connection with the ocean and strong love, desire and passion to protect it.

The buzz is building. The meeting of the member countries to CITES this 3-14 March is just days away. As we sprint toward the main event, where officials will consider 70 proposals to protect species, including commercially valuable oceanic whitetip sharks, hammerheads, porbeagles sharks, manta rays and freshwater sawfish - we know we’re up for some tough battles ahead.

20 Years of Ocean Protection
There are so many reasons to not do something incredible or remarkable. Classic excuses for not becoming involved. But for the past 20 years as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Project AWARE is proud to say, most of what we’ve heard is the splash of countless, inspiring AWARE divers, doing what we do best - just diving in.
This year, as we blow out 20 candles and celebrate 20 years of ocean protection – we celebrate you – the remarkable, the passionate ocean hero. And we can't help but feel invigorated for the challenges ahead.

Have you made a New Year Resolution for 2013? Why not keep it simple and aim to reduce, recycle and Dive Against Debris? For the the GoPro Family a resolution to go green developed into a real fixation. "This eco-friendly mission soon became an obsession and Angel was collecting cans and bottles from everywhere and anywhere to recycle," said Jo Armitage, Master Instructor.

It’s that time of year when many of us take stock. What happened in 2012? How can we make the New Year the best that it can be? Project AWARE is hitting the ground running in 2013 and we’re committed to ensuring progress for sharks and rays under CITES this March. You can help push for these protections: Sign the petition today!