The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Sharks* *The term ‘shark’ refers to all species of sharks, rays, and chimaeras
Map showing all CITES Parties (as of October 2021). Source: cites.org
Text by Daniel Fernando, Cassie Rigby and Glenn Sant Reviewed by the CITES Secretariat
What is CITES?
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international multilateral treaty that helps regulate international trade of wild animal and plant species to ensure that international trade does not threaten their survival. It came into force on 1 st July 1975. As of November 2021, there are 184 Parties (183 countries and the European Union) signatory to the Convention. CITES has three Appendices with over 38,700 species of animals and plants listed across them.
The Scientific Authority (SA) is designated by the MA and could be a government agency, scientific institution, university, committee, or even an individual. It is responsible for developing non-detriment findings (NDFs) to determine if trade in the species or its products is sustainable. The SA is also responsible for providing advice to the MA, as required or requested (e.g., for the development of species listing proposals or to review proposals submitted by other Parties). It is common for a CITES Party to designate multiple SAs, each dealing with a particular group of species. For sharks, this responsibility often falls to the national fisheries agency. [Some fisheries nations have an MA and/or SA specifically for marine species, in addition to the MA/SA dealing with terrestrials].
The Management Authority (MA) is a designated national institution or agency that has the mandate to issue CITES documents, including import and export (or re-export) permits, Introduction from the Sea (IFS) certificates, pre-Convention (and other) certificates, and the annual reports and statistics. The MA is also responsible for communication with national Scientific Authorities and enforcement agencies, for the development and implementation of regulations to implement the Convention, and for communication with the CITES Secretariat and other Parties. 12
