The Meeting to Identify and Elaborate an Option for International Cooperation on Migratory Sharks under the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) took place in Mahé, Seychelles from 11-13 December 2007.

The meeting brought together some 70 participants from 40 countries, representing governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and scientific and academic institutions. Although the meeting uncovered a divergence in NGO and government preferences on the legal nature and species scope of a possible agreement on migratory sharks, there was broad support for the involvement of existing regional and intergovernmental organizations and agreement on key elements for the instrument. Participants established an intersessional steering group to advance the work, with the expectation of concluding the instrument at the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CMS, scheduled for 1-5 December 2008. The extensive discussions resulted in two outputs: a general statement on the purpose and process of the meeting, and a statement on the outcomes of the meeting, which will guide future work on the process.
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