IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided a summary and analysis report from Sharks MOS3.

Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis
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Chair Robert Calcagno, CEO, Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, and Vice-Chair David Hogan, US

Chair Robert Calcagno, CEO, Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, and Melanie Virtue, CMS Secretariat

Angela Martini, EU

Mohamed El Hacene Mekiyoun, Mauritania

Mohamud Hassan Ali, Somalia

Daniel Kachelriess, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

From L-R: John Carlson, Chair, Sharks MOU Advisory Committee; Teya Penniman, IISD Reporting Services; and Asterios Tsioumanis, IISD Reporting Services

Cheri McCarty, US, and Michelle Heupel, Australia

Highlights for Thursday, 13 December 2018

The Third Meeting of Signatories (MOS3) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks (Sharks MOU) continued its deliberations on Thursday, 13 December, at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.

Key takeaways from the fourth day included:

• amendment of the terms of reference of the Advisory Committee (AC) to ensure stability, continuity, and renewal of the AC, as well as nominations for the new term of the AC;
• suggestions for enhanced levels of engagement with regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs);
• agreement on a process for reviewing factsheets for Annex 1 species;
• agreement on the terms of reference for a working group on national reporting to work intersessionally; and
• failure to reach consensus on listing the blue shark (Prionace glauca), with an expected revisit of the proposal at MOS4, with updated information on its conservation status.

The working group to address the pending listing of the angelshark (Squatina squatina), as well as the drafting group on the terms of reference of the Advisory Committee, met at lunchtime. The working group on the programme of work met in the evening.

At lunchtime, the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS) organized a side event called “The ACCOBAMS Survey Initiative.” In the evening, the Shark Trust and Sharks Advocates International organized an event called “Saving Sawfish and Angelsharks.”

Gina Cuza Jones, Costa Rica

Lesley Gidding-Reeve, Australia

Melanie Virtue, CMS Secretariat, and Michelle Heupel, Australia

Beatriz Ladines Villamar and Marco Antonio Herrera Cabrera, Ecuador

Highlights for Wednesday, 12 December 2018

The Third Meeting of Signatories (MOS3) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks (Sharks MOU) continued its deliberations on Wednesday, 12 December, at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.

Key takeaways from the third day included:

• the need to balance ambitious activities in the programme of work with means and capacities for implementation;
• a discussion on mobilization of resources, including potentially developing a fundraising strategy for the MOU in the future;
• consideration of how the Sharks MOU and regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) could best coordinate to build bridges between conservation and management;
• approval of a document outlining suggestions for how the MOU may cooperate with the CMS on Concerted Actions to improve the conservation status for whale sharks, mobulid rays, and angelsharks; and
• welcoming Defenders of Wildlife as a new Cooperating Partner for the MOU.

Delegates further addressed in detail: the programme of work for the next triennium 2019-2021; species-specific conservation measures for Annex 1 species; habitat conservation; capacity building; communication and awareness raising; and the potential for a performance review in the future.

The working group to address the pending listings of the blue shark and the angelshark met at lunchtime, reporting that consensus could not be reached regarding the blue shark. Deliberations on the angelshark continue. The working group on species-specific conservation measures met in the evening.

At lunchtime, Collecte Localisation Satellites organized a side event called “Argos Satellite System for Animal Tracking: Improvements and Future of the Constellation.”

Alejandra Goyenechea, Defenders of Wildlife, and Rebecca Regnery, Humane Society International

Patricia Walker and Irene Kingma, Dutch Elasmobranch Society (NEV)

Isabel Ender and Rebecca Carter, Manta Trust

Coralie Passeron and Clarisse Campagna, Monaco

Melanie Virtue, CMS Secretariat, and Alejandra Goyenechea, Defenders of Wildlife

Alejandra Goyenechea signs the Sharks MOU on behalf of Defenders of Wildlife, which becomes the twelfth Cooperating Partner.

Highlights for Tuesday, 11 December 2018

The Third Meeting of Signatories (MOS3) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks (Sharks MOU) continued its deliberations on Tuesday, 11 December, at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.

Key takeaways from the second day included:

• agreement to list five species of sharks in Annex 1 of the MOU: the dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus); the guitarfish (Rhinobatos rhinobatos); the bottlenose wedgefish/whitespotted wedgefish (Rhynchobatus australiae); the oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus); and the smooth hammerhead shark (Sphyrna zygaena);
• different perspectives among Signatories regarding proposed listings of the blue shark (Prionace glauca) and the angelshark (Squatina squatina), with a working group formed to further address the issue;
• agreement on a provision regarding lookalike species, which notes that if differentiation from an Annex 1 listed species is difficult and confusion is likely, species or species groups may be listed as lookalike species; and
• considerable time debating the pros and cons of using the term “invoice” in regard to indicative contributions, but no disagreement about the challenges associated with the 40% shortfall in contributions actually received.

MOS3 further addressed, without reaching agreement: suggestions for better differentiating between the geographical extent of migrations; and a matrix to clearly determine whether a species meets the criteria and to prioritize species for listing based on their level of depletion and extent of its migratory nature.

In the afternoon, Signatories considered three scenarios for the proposed budget for the triennium 2019-2021, which included: a zero/nominal increase; a 10.4% increase to address suggested increased staffing and interpretation costs; and a 14.4% increase that would support additional engagement with regional fisheries management organizations. Decisions were deferred, pending discussions on other items likely to affect the budget.

Two side events took place during the day. At lunchtime, Manta Trust organized an event called, “A Conservation Roadmap for Manta and Devil Rays Globally.” In the evening, Sri Lanka and Senegal organized an event called, “Sharks and Rays Under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Global Implementation Action and a Preview of Proposals for COP18.”

John Carlson, Chair, Sharks MOU Advisory Committee

Carlos Targino, Brazil

Melanie Virtue, CMS Secretariat

Jim Ellis and John Carlson, Vice Chair and Chair, Sharks MOU Advisory Committee

Djibril Diouck, Senegal

Cheri McCarty, US

Isabel Ender, Manta Trust

Florina Costica, EU, with Tidiani Couma, Monaco

Highlights for Monday, 10 December 2018

The Third Meeting of Signatories (MOS3) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks (Sharks MOU) began Monday, 10 December, at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.

Delegates heard opening remarks from Melanie Virtue, CMS Secretariat; Chair Robert Calcagno, CEO, the Oceanographic Institute, Monaco; and Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Relations and Cooperation, Monaco. They underscored that scientific data are alarming; threats that sharks face are “globalized and complex,” and sharks’ conservation will greatly benefit from further international cooperation.

In the morning, delegates also heard reports of: the Sharks MOU Secretariat; signatories and cooperating partners; the Advisory Committee; and the Intersessional Working Group. They also considered an analysis of national reports and decided to establish a working group to further improve the online reporting tool. An informal group met in the afternoon to develop the working group’s terms of reference.

In the afternoon, delegates heard introductory remarks and exchanged initial opinions on: proposals for the amendment of the Advisory Committee’s terms of reference; criteria for the inclusion of species in Annex 1 of the MOU; the new format for listing proposals as agreed at the 12th Conference of the Parties of the CMS; and budgetary and administrative matters.

A keynote speech by Pierre Frolla, Monegasque free diver and world record holder, Ecole Bleu, focused on sharing diving experiences and on the power of images to effectively communicate messages related to ocean conservation, especially with youth.

A welcoming reception, hosted by the Principality of Monaco and attended by Prince Albert II of Monaco, took place in the evening.

Key takeaways from the first day included:

• establishment of a working group to improve the online reporting tool, increasing flexibility and enabling signatories to better report on conservation efforts and relevant activities;
• recognition from analysis of national reports that legislative gaps exist in many countries, as well as high levels of incidental by-catch of CMS Appendix I species;
• the considerable need to scale-up budgetary contributions to match ambitions and allocated tasks; and
• the importance of using visual messages to increase public engagement, especially with children.

Julia Lawson, Shark Advocates International

Oliver Schall, Germany

Pierre Frolla, free diver and world record holder, focused on the power of images to effectively communicate messages related to ocean conservation.

Life in the aquarium