Quito, Ecuador, 4 November 2014 - Sharks are swimming in troubled waters. In the light of severe declines in many populations of sharks and rays, government officials are considering actions that could help turn the tide for some of the most imperiled of these species.

A record number of shark and ray species have been proposed for listing under the Appendices of the UNEP Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).  Sharks, rays and sawfish make up 21 of the 32 proposals for new listings on the CMS Appendices. A landmark decision might well be about to be taken at the 11th Meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP) which began today and will run until 9 November in Quito, Ecuador.

CMS Executive Secretary Bradnee Chambers said: “The CMS Conference of the Parties offers an important opportunity to boost the global conservation of some highly threatened sharks and rays. The proposals to list 21 additional sharks and rays species on the Convention reflect the interest of a growing number of countries to promote recovery of these biologically vulnerable and ecologically important fish. These proposals, if accepted by CMS Parties, can pave the way for more effective shark and ray conservation action by the international community in the years to come.”

According to an alarming analysis by the IUCN Shark Specialist Group (SSG) published in January this year, an estimated quarter of the world’s more than 1,000 shark and ray species are threatened.

The SSG highlighted overfishing as the main threat to sharks and rays. The species have long been sought for their meat and fins, and -- in some cases – their unique gills and snouts, and are also taken in substantial numbers by fisheries targeting other species.  The SSG has stressed that rays are generally more threatened and less protected than sharks.

Most shark and ray species are exceptionally vulnerable to overexploitation because they grow slowly, mature late and have few young, compared with other fish species. Manta rays, for example, give birth to only one pup every two years. These animals have roamed the world’s oceans for more than 400 million years and play key roles in marine ecosystems.

A growing number of countries are acknowledging the importance of sharks and rays and the urgent need to stop declines, and yet most shark and ray fishing nations lack effective safeguards for the species.

At the CMS COP, governments will consider internationally coordinated conservation measures for migratory species over the next three years and decide which of the species put forward should be listed under its two Appendices.

Kenya has proposed all five species of highly endangered sawfish for listing of both Appendices, while Fiji has proposed the nine species of mobula ray and the Reef Manta. The very similar Giant Manta was listed on both CMS Appendices in 2011.

CMS can play a role in initiating and encouraging greater collaboration among countries toward better conservation of sharks. Listing of the proposed species of sharks and rays could build political momentum to stop the dramatic decline of these exceptional marine creatures.