27 June 2012: The Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) announced that the UK has signed the CMS Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Migratory Sharks. The Sharks MoU was adopted to help develop management measures to protect threatened shark species, such as basking, longfin mako and whale sharks.

It also aims to improve fisheries data for threatened shark species, and coordination 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 MoU was signed on 18 June 2012, by Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon on behalf of the UK and a number of its Overseas Territories. The signing brings the total number of Signatories to 25. [CMS Press Release]