The first of over 70 species of sharks and rays proposed for greater protections, the critically endangered Oceanic whitetip shark, was granted the strongest level of protection today at a UN wildlife summit. The move was welcomed by conservationists from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), that say this could save the species from extinction.
Oceanic whitetip sharks have been uplisted at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to Appendix I. This level of protection bans all commercial international trade of this species and their products.
Original Article: Oceanic whitetip sharks granted international protections
