A proposal submitted by the Maldives to move whale sharks from Appendix II to Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has been approved.
The Maldives took the initiative to propose moving whale sharks from Appendix II to Appendix I of the CITES treaty at the 20th Conference of the Parties (CoP20). This proposal was co-sponsored by 16 countries alongside the Maldives. While a total of 51 proposals were submitted by various countries at this meeting, the proposal spearheaded by the Maldives was passed with the unanimous consensus of all attending nations.
This marks the 50th anniversary since the implementation of the CITES treaty, which was established in 1973 with the objective of controlling the trade of endangered species.
The main objective of this treaty is to control and manage species that are facing extreme or potential risks of extinction, ensuring their populations are not lost while facilitating the benefits derived from them. Currently, over 40,000 species are included in this treaty.
Species in the CITES treaty are categorized under three appendices:
Appendix 1: Species included in this appendix are those facing an extreme risk of extinction on an international level. The commercial international trade of these species, their parts, and their products is prohibited. They may be transported with permission for special purposes (e.g., scientific research).
Appendix 2: Species included in this appendix are those that, while not necessarily threatened with extinction, may become so unless trade is closely controlled. Sustainable international trade of these species, their parts, and products is permitted. These are species that are important to protect before they reach an extreme risk of extinction. They can only be transported with a permit issued by the national management authority.
Appendix 3: This appendix includes species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade. They can be transported with a certificate of origin or a re-export certificate, along with permission from the management authority.
The Maldives became a party to this treaty in 2013. To implement this treaty in the Maldives, a special law was also enacted in 2022.
The whale shark is an important species linked to the lifestyle, economy, and tourism of the Maldives. Due to climate change, the habitats and populations of this species are declining. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has also internationally designated the whale shark as an endangered species. In addition to the CITES treaty, whale sharks are given special priority and protection under the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and regional fisheries management agreements.
Since the whale shark is already a protected species in the Maldives, its inclusion in Appendix 1 of the CITES treaty provides it with additional international protection. Furthermore, this is a success achieved by the Maldives in its efforts to protect whale sharks.
