Sharks and songbirds get new trade protections
Songbirds and sharks have received what conservationists say are vital new trade protections.
Several shark species and two songbirds were added to a list of species whose trade is restricted to prevent them being “traded to extinction”.
The decision was made on Friday at a global summit in Panama.
The meeting takes place against the backdrop of an ongoing global extinction crisis.
Other animals given additional protections in the international wildlife trade treaty, known as CITES, include dozens of freshwater turtles and frogs.
“Over a million species are at risk of extinction if we do not change the way we treat wildlife,” said Matthew Collis, deputy vice president for conservation at the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Some of the new species listed will see a complete ban on trafficking, while others will see new restrictions that aim to encourage more sustainable international trade.
The white-rumped shama and straw-headed bulbul are just two species, both found in South East Asia, whose populations have been devastated by the songbird trade, where birds are captured for their singing ability and used in hugely popular bird-singing competitions.
The straw-headed bulbul in particular has been driven to the brink of extinction – declining by 80% in the last 15 years, according to BirdLife International – by the trapping that feeds huge demand for caged birds in South East Asia.
“If any species deserves this listing, it’s the straw-headed bulbul,” said Kanitha Krishnasamy, Director of TRAFFIC South East Asia, a non-governmental organization that works globally on trade in wild animals.
Both now have extra protections through new trade restrictions agreed at the global wildlife summit, with a complete ban on trading for the straw-headed bulbul.
Comments are closed.