January 27, 2014 — More than 70 participants representing 28 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in Recife, Brazil, from 2 to 4 December to participate in a workshop focused on the implementation of new measures for international trade of five shark species, adopted by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
To assist Latin American and Caribbean countries with implementing these new international shark trade requirements, the government of Brazil with support from the United States, the CITES Secretariat, and several partner organizations including Defenders of Wildlife, Humane Society International and Species Survival Network , hosted the “Regional Workshop on Sharks Listed in Appendix II of CITES – Preparing for Implementation.” The regional workshop brought together CITES Management and Scientific authorities and fisheries experts from around the world to discuss tools and strategies available to assist countries with implementing the new international shark trade requirements. Workshop agenda and materials are available here.
“This workshop is about promoting sustainable use and trade of shark products”, said Dr. Fabio Hazin, professor at the Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Brazil. “Shark fisheries are important to many countries represented here today.
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