Critics at the U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species worried that the measure, which urged more transparency in the shark trade and more research into illegal fishing, would hurt poor nations and that the issue would be better dealt with by regional authorities.
The United States and European Union were among those supporting the measure, which fell short of the necessary two-thirds majority. The vote followed the release of a report charging that high demand for shark fin soup was pushing some species to the brink of extinction. According to marine conservation group Oceana, which released the report, up to 73 million sharks are killed each year.
The vote is seen as a bad omen for the meeting, which will involve other marine proposals. Among those is a ban on the export of Atlantic bluefin tuna, prized among sushi lovers (Associated Press, March 16). – JP