Highlights and images for 27 March 2026

Voting is a rare species at Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). Yet on Friday at COP15, a lack of consensus on a proposal to list three closely-related Thresher Shark species (Pelagic, Bigeye, and Common) on CMS Appendix I resulted in the meeting’s first sighting of this procedure.

Want to dig deeper into today's talks? Read the full Earth Negotiations Bulletin daily report.

All three species are experiencing population declines, and they are so wide-ranging that their routes span the globe. However, only the Pelagic Thresher is considered to be Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, whereas the Bigeye and Common Threshers are categorized as Vulnerable, a less threatened status.

Supporters of the proposal emphasized that these sharks are majorly threatened by bycatch and direct fisheries catch, and an Appendix I listing would apply the precautionary principle in ensuring the more threatened species is not mistaken for its slightly better-faring counterparts. Opponents stressed that the stringent regulations associated with such a listing may push fisheries toward unreported and unregulated activities. After lengthy deliberations, Parties proceeded to a vote, and the three Thresher sharks were ultimately recommended for Appendix I listing.

The Committee of the Whole (CoW) proceeded with a consensus-based approach to recommended the following species to the COP for listing on Appendix I:

• the Hudsonian Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus hudsonicus) 
• the Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica)
• Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
• the Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna lewini) 
• the Great Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna mokarran)

And on Appendix II:

• the Flesh-footed Shearwater (Ardenna carneipes)
• the Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) 
• the Ibera Seedeater (Sporophila iberaensis) 
• the Patagonian Narrownose Smoothhound (Mustelus schmitti)
• the Spotted Sorubim (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans)

Two listing proposals were withdrawn: Bukhara Deer (Cervus elaphus yarkandensis) and Angular Angelshark (Squatina guggenheim).

Many in-session documents remain outstanding—with the finalization of some dependent on the eventual outcome of deliberations on resource mobilization—and working groups continued discussions on these matters into the night. The CoW will reconvene on Saturday morning to consider the 28 remaining documents and 11 Concerted Action proposals in order to conclude its work ahead of the COP plenary on Sunday.