Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Nov. 27, 2025 – CITES CoP20 Parties voted to list oceanic whitetip sharks on Appendix I, the highest level of protection offered by CITES. The vote marks a major victory for one of the most imperiled shark species on the planet.

“Today’s decision is a watershed moment for all sharks and rays,” said Luke Warwick, Director of Shark & Ray Conservation at WCS. “For the first time in CITES history, a shark species has received full protection with a complete ban on international trade. Countries have sent a clear message at this 50th CITES CoP: ocean species deserve the same urgency and protection as wildlife on land, and the world will not stand by and watch as iconic sharks slip toward extinction.”

On the floor during the vote, 13 Parties spoke out on behalf of the Oceanic whitetip proposal championed by Panama: New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Oman, Mauritania, Pakistan, Bahamas, Gabon, Djibouti, Zimbabwe, Canada, Chile, Lebanon, and Fiji. 

Lead delegate from the Bahamas, Dr. Lester Gittens, reminded Parties, “These sharks support jobs across our islands, further declines of this species benefit no one. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the term critically endangered – the next category is extinct in the wild. We cannot take that risk.”

Oceanic whitetips have suffered declines of more than 80-90% in just three generations, driven by relentless fishing pressure and a lucrative illegal fin trade that far exceeds what appears in official records. Appendix I listing will finally end international commercial trade, remove incentives for illegal take, and give this iconic species a fighting chance to recover.

More than 3,000 have gathered in Samarkand for CITES CoP20, The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, as 185 countries consider proposals to prevent trade from threatening the survival of wild species.