Costa Rica to urge for protection of hammerhead sharks

Hammerhead shark, Cocos Island, Costa Rica (Wikimedia Commons)

October 29^th, 2014 (InsideCostaRica.com) Costa Rica, along with Ecuador, will propose the inclusion of the hammerhead shark as a protected species during the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

The proposal will be discussed during the next meeting of CMS signatories, taking place in Quito, Ecuador on November 4^th through November 9^th.

If approved, the 120 countries that are parties to the CMS would be required to take measures for the sharks’ protection, conservation and management.

Hammerhead shark populations are under threat by illegal fishing and shark finning, according to Costa Rica’s environmental authorities.

Hammerhead sharks are a popular tourist attraction for divers visiting Costa Rica’s Cocos Island.

The Convention on Migratory Species, also known as the Bonn Convention, aims to conserve terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species throughout their range.