Shark conservation proposal defeated at UN meeting

By MICHAEL CASEY, AP Environmental Writer Michael Casey, Ap Environmental Writer – Tue Mar 16, 2:54 pm ET

DOHA, Qatar – China, Japan and Russia helped defeat a U.S.-endorsed proposal at a U.N. wildlife trade meeting Tuesday that would have boosted conservation efforts for sharks, expressing concern it would hurt poor nations and should be the responsibility of regional fisheries bodies. The opposition to the shark proposal came hours after the marine conservation group Oceana came out with a report showing that demand for shark fin soup in Asia is driving many species of these big fish to the brink of extinction. The nonbinding measure, which called for increased transparency in the shark trade and more research into the threat posed to sharks by illegal fishing, had been expected to gain approval by a committee of the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES. But the United States, the European Union and other supporters were unable to muster the two-thirds majority needed after China, Russia, Japan and several developing countries argued that shark populations aren’t suffering. The decision 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, and tightening the trade on eight shark species. “What we saw today is those parties that disagree with listing commercially fished species on CITES making a stand,” said Glenn Sant, the global marine program leader for the conservation group TRAFFIC. “I do worry that instead of looking at the logic and facts of what some of this material contains, they will simply vote on the grounds that they don’t want to see any movement on conserving marine species.” … Oceana, a Washington, D.C.-based group, found that as many as 73 million sharks are killed each year, primarily for their fins, with much of the trade going to China. …