United Kingdom signs the CMS Shark agreement21st June 2012  The United Kingdom has taken a further and important step towards protecting endangered sharks becoming the 24th signature to the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks on the 18th June 2012.
The shark agreement, the first of its kind to address the global conservation of sharks, was signed by Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon on behalf of the UK and a number of the UK's Overseas Territories.
Adopted under the Convention of Migratory Species it will help develop management measures to protect threatened sharks species including basking, longfin mako, whale, shortfin, white and porbeagle sharks, as well asthe Northern hemisphere populations of the spiny dogfish.
Many of these sharks are not only found in UK waters, but in the waters of the UK's Overseas Territories making their involvement crucial in ensuring these animals get the protection they need.
Signing the agreement, Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon said:
"We must do all we can to protect these vulnerable species before they are lost forever.
"The UK is already pushing the EU to tighten controls on the wasteful and barbaric practice of shark finning, and this agreement further demonstrates our determination to ensure they do have a future.
"We will continue to lead the way on shark conservation internationally and will push for improvements wherever they’re needed."
Under the agreement, work will focus on improving fisheries data for threatened shark species to help inform conservation and management actions. It will see better co-ordination of shark management and conservation measures at regional and international levels, including proposals to limit the catch or trade in endangered species of shark.
The UK's signing also extended the agreement to the UK Overseas Territories of Bermuda, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Indian Ocean Territories and Crown Dependency of the Isle of Man.
More information on the Shark agreement is availabale on the CMS website
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