Lawmakers advance momentous ban on controversial fishing and trading practice: 'This is a historical win'

Lawmakers advance momentous ban on controversial fishing and trading practice: 'This is a historical win'

Michael Muir

Thu, January 8, 2026 at 1:30 AM UTC

2 min read

Lawmakers advance momentous ban on controversial fishing and trading practice: 'This is a historical win' — Photo Credit: iStock

Conservationists are hailing important new legal protections for dozens of threatened marine species after productive talks held in Central Asia.

According to Phys.org, more than 70 shark and ray species are now subject to enhanced international protections. During talks held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, signatories to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) supported greater restrictions on the trade of endangered marine species.

Barbara Slee, senior program manager at the International Fund for Animal Welfare, noted, "This is a historical win for sharks, something we were strongly hoping for."

Species listed under CITES fall into three appendices. The most threatened come under Appendix 1, meaning a total ban on commercial trade and strong regulations on research specimens. Appendix 2 concerns species close to being threatened and their look-alikes; trade is heavily regulated. The third appendix can be applied at the request of a member state, though it is less strictly enforced.

The most notable additions to Appendix 1 include whale sharks, manta, and devil rays.

The first is a critically endangered gentle giant overexploited for its fins, oil, and meat, per the World Wildlife Fund. Its addition to Appendix 1 closes the gaps in its legal protection in some countries.

Manta rays are also harmless leviathans who possess the largest brain of any fish. Indeed, according to Oceana, their impressive noggin is 10 times larger than a whale shark's.

The devil ray gets its name from its distinctive "horns," which are actually just cephalic fins. They are known for their incredible agility, and some can clear two meters from the water's surface in a single bound.

Marine megafauna like sharks and rays play a vital role in the health of the ocean ecosystem through nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration.

CITES has had its issues with uneven enforcement, but there have also been some important successes, especially the crackdown on the ivory trade in 1989. The listing is a crucial first step, but one that also needs to be backed up by officials.

Supporting candidates who will enact and support pro-climate legislation is more important than ever.

If adequately enforced, these measures could spark a turnaround. Slee said, "This should mark the end of overfishing and a fresh wave of hope for sharks."

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