
March 13th, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) Costa Rica, Honduras, and Brazil were able to include the hammerhead shark in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES).
The proposal received 91 votes in favor, 39 against and 8 abstentions, according to the Ministry of Environment and Energy (Minae) in a statement. Among the opponents were China and Japan, both of whom are active traders in sharks and whales.
The list, intended to protect species against over-exploitation through international trade, contains about 5,000 animal species and 28,000 plant species.
The World Conservation Union has placed the hammerhead shark in its “red list” of species in danger of extinction. Their report reveals that 99% of hammerheads have disappeared in the last 30 years due to the shark fin trade.