Papua New Guinea today announced more than 1.5 million hectares (more than 16,000 km²) of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

It was agreed to place 18 additional shark and ray species on Appendix II of CITES. This means that international trade in these species will be regulated, and countries will be incentivized to manage the fisheries for these species to ensure they are sustainable.

WASHINGTON (May 22, 2018) – Today, the Senate Commerce Committee voted to advance S.2764, the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act, to the full Senate for consideration.

WASHINGTON (April 17, 2018) – Ahead of a House Natural Resources Committee hearing on various shark conservation bills, 62marine scientists with expertise on sharks and rays submitted a letter to the committee calling for passage of the H.R. 5248, the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act.

WASHINGTON (March 14, 2018) – WCS supports a new bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Congress that encourages a science-based approach to fisheries conservation and management to significantly reduce the overfishing and unsustainable trade of sharks, rays, and skates around the world and prevent shark finning.

St Julian's, MALTA (5 October 2017) – WCS announced three new commitments to saving the world’s oceans at the Our Ocean conference in Malta.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - (Oct. 4 2016) - Science and wildlife conservation prevailed at CITES CoP17. The decisions made by the gathering countries were based on the best available scientific information. 

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (October 4, 2016) – Conservationists are delighted that CITES Parties have officially listed devil rays, thresher sharks, and the silky shark under CITES Appendix II. The listing proposals were supported by more than the two-thirds majority required for adoption in Committee on Monday, and finalized today in Plenary. 

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (October 3, 2016) – In a highly anticipated Committee session today, proposals to list devil rays, thresher sharks, and the silky shark under CITES were supported by more than the two-thirds of voting Parties required for adoption.