UN rejects bid to protect hammerhead shark
The United Nations body that regulates trade in rare species rejected a proposal on Tuesday to up protection for the heavily fished scalloped hammerhead shark, whose fins are a delicacy in China. The Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) rejected the motion by a narrow margin at its 12-day meeting in Doha.
China and Japan led the opposition to the United States' proposal to increase restrictions on cross-border trade in hammerhead fins.
Chinese delegates argued that border controls would not be enforceable, while Japan insisted that management of shark populations was up to regional fisheries, not Cites.
But conservationists say that the trade in sharks must be made sustainable, especially as most species of shark take many years to mature and produce relatively few young.
In contrast with other species such as tuna, shark fins can currently be sold largely unregulated.
Intensive fishing has reduced shark populations by roughly 80 per cent globally, according to experts.
Between 1.5 and 2.3 million sharks are caught each year, most of them tossed back into the sea after their fins have been removed.
The dried fins are the signature ingredient of shark fin soup, a luxury dish typically served on special occasions in China.