Shark conservation proposal defeated at UN meeting
DOHA, Qatar — China, Japan and Russia have helped defeat
a proposal at
U.N. wildlife trade meeting that would have boosted conservation
efforts
for sharks.
The nonbinding measure called for increased transparency in
the shark
trade and more research into the threat posed to sharks by
illegal fishing.
It had been expected to pass easily, but the United States,
the European
Union and other supporters couldn't muster the two-thirds majority
needed in Tuesday's vote.
Critics expressed concern the measure would hurt poor nations
and could
be handled by regional bodies instead.
The vote could be a bad omen for a two-week meeting that will
include
much more controversial marine proposals, including banning
the export
of Atlantic bluefin tuna, which is popular with sushi lovers.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further
information.
AP's earlier story is below.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Surging demand for shark fin soup
among Asia's
booming middle classes is driving many species of these big
fish to the
brink of extinction, a marine conservation group said Tuesday.
Oceana, in a report released Tuesday at a U.N. endangered
species
meeting, found that up to 73 million sharks are killed each
year,
primarily for their fins. As a result, some populations have
plummeted
by as much as 83 percent, prompting the 175-nation Convention
on
International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, to consider
proposals at its two-week meeting in Doha to regulate the shark
trade.
At least eight shark species including the scalloped hammerhead
and the
oceanic whitetip are being considered for CITES listing which
would put
some controls on their export.
"The global shark fin trade is driving the oceans to
collapse," Courtney
Sakai, a senior campaign director at Oceana, said in a statement. "Trade
measures are the most direct way to ensure that the powerful
economic
incentives to catch sharks do not lead to their extinction."
Shark fin soup has long played central part in traditional
Chinese
culture, often being served at weddings and banquets. But demand
for the
soup has surged as increasing numbers of mostly Chinese middle
class
search for ways to spend their new found wealth.
Oceana estimated that Hong Kong alone imports 10 million kilos
of shark
fin each year from as many as 87 countries, with Spain, Singapore
and
Taiwan being the biggest suppliers. The shark fin industry
is also a
lucrative one, with a bowl of shark fin soup running as high
as $100 and
the fin itself costing $1,300.
Sharks are particularly vulnerable to overexploitation because
they
generally grow slowly and live long lives. Their relatively
low
reproductive rates mean their populations are slow to recover
once
overfished.
Along with sharks, delegates at the U.N. conference are considering
more
nearly four dozen proposals on a range of species from rhinos
to polar
bears. Later this week, they will debate a proposal from Monaco
for an
all-out ban on the export of Atlantic bluefin tuna, a contentious
issue
that has the countries of Asia and the West locking horns over
a fish
prized in sushi.
