CONVENTION ON MIGRATORY SPECIES - COMMENTS FROM INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ON THE PROPOSALS

The Sharks MOU Advisory Committee (AC) has reviewed proposals for the inclusion of four species of sharks and rays in the Appendices of the Convention (Table 1), that were submitted by CMS Parties for consideration at the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP14) to CMS and provided its comments in this document. [...] At the 4th Meeting of the Signatories to the Sharks MOU (Sharks MOS4) in March 2023, Signatories agreed through the Programme of Work 2023–2025 to request the AC to “Provide comments on proposals for the inclusion of shark and ray species in the Appendices of CMS to the CMS Scientific Council and Conference of the Parties”. [...] Given the recent IUCN change of status to a higher extinction risk category, and the life history characteristics of the species, the AC considers that the available evidence would allow the conclusion that the global population of C. [...] Comments on the proposal: The proposal states, in paragraph 3 of the ‘overview’ and in paragraph 1 of the section 4.2 ‘population (estimates and trends)’ that the west coast Australia population has shown “signs of the onset of recovery where management measures have been in place to some time...” The AC noted this is likely incorrect. [...] Furthermore, the AC considered that the available evidence would allow the conclusion that the Mediterranean Sea population (and potentially the global population) could be “facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future” and be endangered6 in accordance with Article III(1) of CMS and Resolution 13.7 Guidelines for preparing and assessing proposals for the amendment of CMS Ap.