Roundup of Sharks International 2014

Shark Fin ID Guide

Among the millions of shark fins traded around the world each year are the fins from five species that are listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): the oceanic whitetip, the porbeagle and the scalloped, smooth and great hammerheads. The Appendix II listing means that when fins from these species are transported across international borders they must be accompanied by an export permit certifying that the specimen is being legally and sustainably traded.

The Shark Fin ID Guide, recently developed as a collaborative effort and presented at Sharks International 2014 by Demian Chapman and Debra Abercrombie, helps wildlife inspectors, customs personnel, researchers and fishers to distinguish the fins of these protected species among the many thousands that they come into contact with. The easy-to-use guide breaks down the process into manageable steps and uses conspicuous fin markings and characteristics to consistently identify fins from the CITES-listed species. The guide is available at sharkfinid.com.

How to save sawfishes

Having disappeared from most of the countries where they were historically found, sawfishes are possibly the most endangered of all marine fish. At the Sharks International conference, the IUCN Shark Specialist Group released its strategy for conserving these species, in parallel with the announcement that two countries in West Africa – Guinea and Guinea Bissau – are proposing that sawfishes be listed under the Convention on Migratory Species. To learn more about these enigmatic and endangered animals, see our infographic on page 106.