An oceanic whitetip shark swims in the Bahamas. Photo credit: Christina Mittermeier
The oceanic whitetip shark was once one of the most abundant large animals in the high seas. In Pacific Island lore, these sharks are often seen as messengers from the ancient deep: feared and revered guardians, their presence seen as a sign of approaching storms or ancestral passages.
Today, oceanic whitetip sharks are disappearing so rapidly, largely due to the illegal trade of their fins for shark fin soup, that scientists warn we may soon lose them entirely.
DNA testing of more than 16,000 shark fins in Hong Kong, the world’s largest shark fin market, found the species was 70 times more frequent than the government reported. In just three years, traders have trafficked more than 36,000 illegally caught oceanic whitetip shark fins.
The scale is unimaginable, and the figures reveal a global pattern: trade regulations are failing to keep pace with illegal activity.
Sharks and rays are vital to the health and balance of the ocean, serving as apex and sometimes apex predators, shaping the integrity of entire marine ecosystems and supporting the cultural heritage of indigenous and local communities around the world. After amphibians, they are the second most threatened group of animals on Earth.
The whitetip shark is not an isolated case. Sharks and rays are experiencing one of the fastest extinction crises of any vertebrate species on Earth. More than a third of species (37%) are now threatened with extinction, largely due to overfishing and exploitative international trade to satisfy niche markets. For species in the shark fin trade, the outlook is even worse: more than 70% of sharks meet the thresholds for Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.
Christina Mittemeier
This is the background of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP20) held at the end of last year. At a meeting in Uzbekistan, the international community was asked to decide whether to continue to control shark declines or ultimately move toward shark recovery.
The answer is resounding. Led by Panama, parties voted overwhelmingly unanimously to list the oceanic whitetip shark in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the highest level of protection under the Convention.
This final decision marks a decisive turning point for one of the ocean’s most endangered species. Oceanic whitetip sharks are the first shark species to be listed in Appendix I, meaning they cannot be traded commercially.
That breakthrough set the tone for the rest of the conference, paving the way for several major wins that followed, including Appendix I listings for whale sharks, manta rays and manta rays. International commercial trade is now banned in all these countries.
Listing the oceanic whitetip shark in Appendix I is not symbolic. It is the most powerful and effective tool countries have to stem the illegal flow of shark fins and provide the species with an opportunity to recover.
Appendix 1 removes ambiguities. It closes the loophole. It gives law enforcement a clear line: if it’s on the market, it shouldn’t be on the market.
We know this approach works. Green sea turtles were banned from commercial trade in the 1980s, global trade collapsed, and populations rebounded so much that the species is now listed as a species of “least concern.” For oceanic whitetip sharks, the Appendix I listing will be the difference between recovery and disappearance in the coming decades.
Christina Mittemeier
Shark conservation requires global leadership, and Panama is leading the way in ocean conservation. Last week, the Environment Ministry announced that Panama would end all trade in shark and ray products. Panama currently protects 54% of its national waters, far exceeding the global target of protecting 30% by 2030, and was one of the first countries to join the 100% Alliance, committing to sustainably manage 100% of its ocean area. Panama has partnered with Global Fisheries Watch to increase efforts to monitor and combat illegal fishing. Panama has also been selected to host the next CITES CoP, likely to be held in 2028, which will help maintain global momentum to protect threatened species.
The illegal shark trade is a transnational challenge, and so are the solutions. Countries cannot claim to have made progress on biodiversity or climate goals while allowing critically endangered species to continue to move unfettered on international markets.
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