9 April 2014: The ‘Regional Consultative Workshop on Capacity Assessments for the Implementation of New CITES Listings of Sharks and Manta Rays’ brought together fisheries authorities from ten States and concluded with the adoption of the Casablanca Declaration. The Declaration presents a road map for implementing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) listings of sharks and manta rays that were adopted at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP 16) in March 2013.

The meeting was the first opportunity for key African shark fishing and trading States to discuss challenges and opportunities offered by the recent listings. Representatives of CITES and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) also attended.

In the Casablanca Declaration, participants, inter alia, recognized the need for strengthening regional collaboration among African countries to ensure the future sound management and sustainable use of sharks and manta rays; and encouraged all countries to join and actively participate in relevant regional fishery bodies to strengthen collaboration and harmonization of national regulations and approaches.

The CITES Secretariat received funding from the European Union (EU) to support these new sharks and manta ray listings. Some of the funds will be transferred to FAO to support CITES Parties’ implementation of the listings and promote collaboration between fisheries sectors and CITES in key shark fishing and trading nations. The workshop was held in Casablanca, Morocco, from 11-13 February 2014. [CITES News] [Casablanca Declaration]