Overview
- Delegates in Samarkand confirmed a commercial international trade ban for the oceanic whitetip and the whale shark, extending prohibitions to manta and devil rays.
- About 70 to 74 shark and ray species received upgraded listings that impose stricter controls on international trade.
- New measures will strictly regulate trade in certain water frogs starting in mid-2027, a step expected to impact Europe’s frog‑leg market.
- A European Union proposal to add Japanese and American eels to CITES controls was rejected, leaving existing rules unchanged.
- Attempts to relax protections for ivory and rhino horn, including Namibia’s bids to permit regulated sales, were turned down.