The Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITIEs), in its meeting in Qatar, has rejected the proposal to regulate the trade of several species of shark common in UAE waters, a move that could bring cheer for animal lovers and environmentalists.

The regulation is aimed to provide license to the people involved in the trade of sharks. The great hammerhead and the scalloped hammerhead are popular in the UAE for their meat and their most valuable fins which is a major attraction in the Far East.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has rejected the move to list seven out of eight sharks under Appendix II. There were demands for listing scalloped hammerhead, Great Hammerhead, Smooth Hammerhead, Sandbar Shark, Dusky Shark, Oceanic Whitetip Shark and Spiny Dogfish in the Appendix but no one other than Porbeagle finds place in the list.

EU- Porbeagle shark proposal got support from 86 nations while 42 opposed the move to add the fish in Appendix II that ensures easy survival of some selected species.