CITES Non-detriment Findings Guidance for Shark Species. A Framework to assist Authorities in making Non-detriment Findings (NDFs) for species listed in CITES Appendix II

This Guidance was produced for the Bundesamt fur Naturschutz (German government) under the project “Development of Non-detriment Findings for shark species listed in Appendix II of CITES: a review of existing management measures and the development of guidelines and practical recommendations”. A brief summary of work undertaken for this project will be presented to the 27th meeting of the CITES Animals Committee in 2014. The NDF procedures set out in the report will be tested on selected stocks of Porbeagle (Lamna nasus) and other listed shark species, and the results analysed during a small expert workshop to be hosted by the German government in Berlin during August 2014. The procedures and guidance notes will be revised if necessary following discussions at this workshop. The aim is for the Guidance to be finalised and ready for practical implementation by the time that the Appendix II listings adopted by the Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) in March 2013 come into force in September 2014 . The revised guidance report will be submitted to the CITES Secretariat to be placed on the CITES homepage section for sharks and mantas (http://www.cites.org/eng/prog/shark/index.php).