Advancing Shark and Ray Conservation in West Africa

In 2016, we partnered with nine West African countries—Benin, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal, Togo, Gabon and Cape Verde—to develop recommendations to further strengthen shark and ray conservation in the region. Officials met in Dakar, Senegal, to address priority needs of the West African region and facilitate the implementation of the shark and ray listings in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Officials discussed the identification of shark and ray products in trade, improvements to data collection and monitoring, and how to make legal acquisition findings and non-detriment findings for CITES-listed shark and ray species. In addition to training, roundtable exercises, and discussion, a list of priority recommendations for next steps to further strengthen CITES implementation and inter-agency and regional coordination was developed. These recommendations build off the 2014 Dakar Action Plan, which outlines key objectives that the West African region agreed to achieve effective implementation of the CITES shark and ray listings, and address Customs, CITES and Fisheries authorities towards actions to strengthen CITES implementation.

More Information

• Recommendations of the Workshop Regarding the Implementation of the Listing of Sharks Species in CITES Appendices (PDF)
• Guide to West African Shark and Ray Species Listed in CITES (PDF)
• 2014 Dakar Action Plan (PDF)
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)