The oceanic whitetip shark is one of the most widespread of shark species, ranging across entire oceans in tropical and subtropical waters, usually found far offshore up to about 30° North and South in all oceans. The shark is distributed worldwide in epipelagic tropical and subtropical waters between 20°North and 20°South latitude, but can be found up to about 30° North and South latitude during seasonal movements in the summer months (Backus et al. 1956). Its range includes the western Atlantic Ocean from Portugal to the Gulf of Guinea and possibly the Mediterranean Sea. In the Indo-Pacific, this species is found from the Red Sea and the coast of East Africa to Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti and the Tuamoto Islands. In the eastern Pacific Ocean, it ranges from southern California in the United States south to Peru. Young oceanic whitetip sharks have been found well offshore along the southeastern coast of the United States, suggesting that there may be an offshore nursery over this continental shelf (Compagno 1984, Fourmanoir 1961 Last and Stevens 1994, Bonfil et al. 2008).
NOAA Fisheries Service produces an annual report on U.S. implementation the Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000. The 2008 Annual Report to Congress is available online (note that this document does not reflect updates from 2009-2010): http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ia/intlbycatch/rpts_shark_finning.htm
SHARKS at CITES CoP15
The United States and co-sponsor Palau have submitted a proposal to list
scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) in CITES Appendix II, with
the following species listed as “look-alikes” due to similar-looking
fins that are highly valued in the market:
• Great hammerhead sharks (S. mokarran);
• Smooth hammerhead sharks (S. zygaena);
• Dusky sharks (Carcharhinus obscurus); and
• Sandbar sharks (C. plumbeus).
The United States and Palau also submitted a proposal to list oceanic
whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus) in CITES Appendix II. This
species is also highly valued in the fin trade market. The fins of
oceanic whitetip sharks are distinguished from the fins of the other
shark species proposed for listing by the white coloring at their tips.
In comparison to other marine species, sharks are slow to mature and produce few young, making them especially vulnerable to overfishing. The greatest threats to both the scalloped hammerhead and oceanic whitetip sharks are harvest for the international fin trade and bycatch, which have resulted in significant population declines for both species. Shark fins are highly valued particularly in Asia and Asian markets around the world, where fins are consumed primarily as shark fin soup. The United States has proposed CITES Appendix-II listings for these shark species to ensure that international trade, including trade in their fins, is legal and sustainable.
A CITES Appendix-II listing does NOT prohibit harvest; it requires
regulation of international trade. Should these listing proposals be
adopted, sharks taken within a country’s own Exclusive Economic Zone
(EEZ) for domestic consumption would not be regulated by CITES. Sharks
taken within a country’s own EEZ and subsequently exported, and sharks
taken on the high seas would be subject to CITES requirements.
Link to the US/Palau proposal: http://www.cites.org/eng/cop/15/prop/E-15-Prop-16.pdf
There is also a progress report and recommendations regarding the conservation and management of sharks and stingrays:
http://www.cites.org/eng/cop/15/doc/E15-07-02-01.pdf
FAO Advisory Panel Report on Marine Species Proposals to be considered at CITES CoP15 (Dec 2009): ftp://ftp.fao.org/FI/DOCUMENT/R925/r925.pdf
