But until last week there were no international controls regulating trade in the species, despite growing demand for their livers.
That has now changed thanks to the latest decisions made by CITES, which Warwick said was a turning point in marine conservation.
For much of its 50-year history, the convention has focused on protecting iconic terrestrial species such as elephants, rhinoceroses, primates and parrots, or charismatic marine species such as sea turtles, Warwick said. By 1981, CITES imposed an international ban on all international trade in sea turtles, which Warwick believes helped some species makes a remarkable comeback in the last few decades. Only in the last 10 years, Warwick said, has the convention gradually begun to recognize sharks and rays with the same urgency.
At this year's COP20, all proposed measures to protect sharks and rays were passed, largely with unanimous support from the 185 CITES member countries and the European Union, something Warwick said had never happened before.
The European Union is one of the largest suppliers of shark meat to markets in Southeast and East Asia, and its imports and exports account for more than 20 percent of the global shark meat trade. According to the World Wildlife Fund.
Liver-hunting globber sharks, as well as smooth hound and topsea sharks, which are fished primarily for their meat, have been listed on CITES Appendix II. Each list covers several species—20 species of glotter sharks and 30 species of smoothhound sharks—grouped together because their products cannot be reliably distinguished in trade.
Listing requires all CITES parties to strictly regulate international trade in the species and demonstrate whether it is traceable and biologically sustainable. Some species, including wedgefish and giant guitarfish (large shark-like rays hunted for their highly prized fins), are now protected by the temporary trade freeze.
Other species, such as oceanic whitetip sharks, whale sharks, manta rays and devil rays, are no longer subject to international trade at all. Under the new protections, CITES now lists them as an Appendix I species, meaning they face a real risk of extinction due to trade and are afforded the highest level of protection under the treaty.
