United States and CITES: Considerations for Shark Proposals

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R9–IA–2011–0087; 96300–1671–0000 FY12–R4]

Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); Sixteenth Regular Meeting: Taxa Being Considered for Amendments to the CITES Appendices

AGENCY : Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION : Notice.

SUMMARY : The United States, as a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), may propose amendments to the CITES Appendices for consideration at meetings of the Conference of the Parties. The sixteenth regular meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP16) is tentatively scheduled to be held in Thailand, March 3–15, 2013. With this notice, we describe proposed amendments to the CITES Appendices (species proposals) that the United States might submit for consideration at CoP16 and invite your comments and information on these proposals.

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A. What species proposals is the United States likely to submit for consideration at CoP16?

The United States is likely to develop and submit proposal(s) for the following taxa.

Fishes : NONE

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B. On what species proposals is the United States still undecided, pending additional information and consultations?

The United States is still undecided on whether to submit proposals for CoP16 for the following taxa. In some cases, we have not completed our consultations with relevant range countries. In other cases, we expect meetings to occur in the immediate future, at which participants will generate important recommendations, trade analyses, or biological information on the taxon in question.

Fishes:

Longfin mako shark (Isurus paucus) — Inclusion in Appendix II

Shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) — Inclusion in Appendix II

Porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus) — Inclusion in Appendix II or Appendix I

Scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), great hammerhead shark (S. mokarran), and smooth hammerhead shark (S. zygaena) — Inclusion in Appendix II

Oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) — Inclusion in Appendix II or Appendix I

Bigeye thresher shark (Alopias superciliosus), common thresher shark (A. vulpinus), and pelagic thresher shark (A. pelagicus) — Inclusion in Appendix II

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C. What species proposals is the United States not likely to submit for consideration at CoP16, unless we receive significant additional information?

The United States does not intend to submit proposals for the following taxa unless we receive significant additional information indicating that a proposal is warranted. Information currently available for each of the taxa listed below does not support a defensible proposal.

Fishes:

Gulper sharks (Centrophoridae) — Inclusion in Appendix II

Devil and manta rays (Mobulidae) — Inclusion in Appendix II or in Appendix I

Hammerhead sharks (Sphyrnidae) (see section B. above for consideration of scalloped, great, and smooth hammerhead sharks) — Inclusion in Appendix I or, if not warranted, in Appendix II

Dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus) — Inclusion in Appendix II or Appendix I

Sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) — Appendix II or Appendix I

Portuguese shark (Centroscymnus coelolepis) — Inclusion in Appendix II

Spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) — Inclusion in Appendix II

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Future Actions :

As stated above, the next regular meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP16) is tentatively scheduled to be held in Thailand, March 3–15, 2013. The United States must submit any proposals to amend Appendix I or II, or any draft resolutions, decisions, or agenda items for discussion at CoP16 to the CITES Secretariat 150 days (tentatively early October 2012) prior to the start of the meeting. In order to meet this deadline and to prepare for CoP16, we have developed a tentative U.S. schedule. Approximately 9 months prior to CoP16, we plan to publish a Federal Register notice announcing draft resolutions, draft decisions, and agenda items to be submitted by the United States at CoP16, and to solicit further information and comments on them. We will consider all available information and comments, including those received in writing during that comment period, as we decide which proposed resolutions, decisions, and agenda items warrant submission by the United States for consideration by the Parties. Approximately 4 months prior to CoP16, we will post on our Web site an announcement of the species proposals, draft resolutions, draft decisions, and agenda items submitted by the United States to the CITES Secretariat for consideration at CoP16.

Through a series of additional notices and Web site postings in advance of CoP16, we will inform you about preliminary negotiating positions on resolutions, decisions, and amendments to the Appendices proposed by other Parties for consideration at CoP16. We will also publish an announcement of a public meeting to be held approximately 3 months prior to CoP16; that meeting will enable us to receive public input on our positions regarding CoP16 issues. The procedures for developing U.S. documents and negotiating positions for a meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES are outlined in 50 CFR 23.87. As noted in paragraph (c) of that section, we may modify or suspend the procedures outlined there if they would interfere with the timely or appropriate development of documents for submission to the CoP and of U.S. negotiating positions.

Source:

Federal Register,  pre-publication version – Document No. 2012-08665
( primary author: Mary Cogliano, Ph.D., Division of Scientific Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).