UN CITES PASSES RESTRICTIONS ON TRADE IN BANGKOK

Delegates to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) have taken the significant step of voting to protect two manta ray and five shark species at the 16th Conference of the Parties. Sharks have been heavily targeted for their fins and mantas for their gill rakers, despite the species' proven value to ocean ecosystem health and to global ecotouris ... [more]