Sharks fall under wider conservation net

JOHANNESBURG -- Hammerhead, thresher and silky are among the 21 sharks and rays added to a list of species that more than 100 governments are trying to protect, according to conservation officials.

Measures to conserve those species were approved Sunday in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, by members of The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, Bradnee Chambers, the convention's executive secretary, said in an emailed response to questions.

"That means where the species migrates" across international boundaries, "that all of those countries come up with a strategy, a strategic plan to be able to manage and conserve those species," said Chambers.

About 100 million sharks are killed annually, mainly for their fins, according to a 2013 study published in Marine Policy. The populations of swordfish and manta rays have declined so much that they need strict protection, said Luke Warwick, a senior associate at Pew Charitable Trusts' shark conservation initiative.

"For species like silky and thresher sharks, there's still time to save them, but the time for action is now," said Warwick. He added that the measures build on prior agreements and begin to weave a global framework for protection and said, "The implementation of these listings will be key." The meeting of the 120-nation convention also passed a resolution to reach out and work with fisheries industries in a bid to establish sustainable fishing.