Forty two species recommended for addition to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals.

Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals have recommended that 42 additional species be included on Appendix I and/or II of the convention, ahead of the next UN Conference to Advance Global Conservation of Migratory Wildlife and Their Habitats, to be held in Campo Grande, Brazil, on 23-29 March 2026, according to a press release issued on 18 December 2025.

In order to be listed as under Appendix I of the convention, a species must be migratory, or wide ranging, and officially determined to be endangered. To be listed under Appendix II, it must be established that international cooperation is needed to protect that species. Countries which are parties to the convention are obliged to prioritise protecting these animals, conserving or restoring the places where they live, mitigating obstacles to migration and controlling other factors that might endanger them.

Two species of terrestrial Mammal are proposed for inclusion. The Striped Hyena, Hyaena hyaena, a wide ranging species found across much of Africa and Asia. This species now has a global population of less than 10 000 mature individuals, and its habitat is highly fragmented, and shrinking in many places, due to agriculture, urbanisation and infrastructure development, as well as declines in many large carnivore species, which reduce the availability of the carrion which forms an important part of the species diet, and conflicts with Humans driven by shifting livestock farming practices, hunting, and the illegal wildlife trade. 

The current global distribution of the Striped Hyena, Hyaena hyaena. ICUN Red List of Threatened Species.

Also proposed is the addition of Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, populations in Zimbabwe to Appendix I of the convention; Cheetahs were also found across much of Africa and Asia, and is threatened by habitat fragmentation and loss, as well as hunting and capture for the illegal wildlife trade. The species is currently protected under the convention across its range, with the exception of Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, where it had been thought to be faring better. However, the Zimbabwean population has undergone a 90% decrease in population in 15 years, and the Government of Zimbabwe has proposed that its Cheetah population be added to the convention.

A Cheetah imaged by a camera-trap set by the Painted Dog Research Trust in Zimbabwe. Sibanda (2023).

A single species of aquatic Mammal, the Giant Otter, Pteronura brasiliensis, has also been proposed for inclusion on the list. This species is found in lowland wetlands and coastal regions of much of South America, but is threatened by habitat loss across much of its range, and is believed to have suffered a 50% population loss in the 25 years to 2014, with predictions suggesting that it will continue to decline at the same rate. 

A Giant Otter, Pteronura brasiliensis, foragingin the Piquiri River in Mato Grosso State, Brazil. Bernard Dupont/Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species.

Thirty two new species of Birds have been proposed for inclusion on Appendixes I and/or II of the Convention. The most notable of these is the  Snowy Owl, Bubo scandiacus, a charismatic species commonly represented in popular culture, which is estimated to have lost a third of its population in the last three decades, and which has was declared regionally extinct in Sweden by BirdLife International this year.

A Snowy Owl, Bubo scandiacus, in flight. Bert de Tilly/Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species.

The other Bird species proposed are the Flesh-footed Shearwater, Ardenna carneipes, the Hudsonian Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus hudsonicus, the Hudsonian Godwit, Limosa haemastica, the Lesser Yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes, the Iberá Seedeater, Sporophila iberaensis, and all 25 species of Gadfly Petrels, Pterodroma spp. and Pseudobulweria spp.

A Lesser Yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes. Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species.

Eight species of Shark and Fish are also proposed for inclusion on Appendixes I and/or II of the Convention. These are the Pelagic Thresher Shark, Alopias pelagicus, the Bigeye Thresher Shark, Alopias superciliosus, the Common Thresher Shark, Alopias vulpinus, the Patagonian Narrownose Smoothhound, Mustelus schmitti, the Scalloped Hammerhead Shark, Sphyrna lewini, the Great Hammerhead Shark, Sphyrna mokarran, the Angular Angelshark, Squatina guggenheim, and the Spotted Sorubim, Pseudoplatystoma corruscans, a migratory Catfish from the rivers of tropical South America, threatened by overfishing and habitat fragmentation.

Two Thresher Sharks over a Coral reef off the island of Malapascua in the Philippines. Dani Escayola/Ocean Image Bank/Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species.

The Great Hammerhead Shark is typical of the Shark species proposed for protection under the Convention. It is found in coastal tropical and subtropical water around the world, but has been heavily overfished for the value of its meat, and in particular its fins, and even when not actively targeted by fishermen, is a common bycatch from other fisheries. As a top predator, its disappearance can trigger a cascade of ecological effects, profoundly altering the ecosystems where it is lost.

One taxon has also been proposed for removal from Appendix I of the convention, the Bukhara Deer, Cervus elaphus yarkandensis, a subspecies of Red Deer, which was reduced to about 400 species in 1999, but which has since undergone a significant recovery due to conservation efforts, and is no longer considered to be threatened.

A group of Bukhara Deer. Natalya Marmazinskaya/Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species.

See also...

Ten fatal Shark attacks recorded globally in 2023.

The International Shark Attack File, which is maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History, recorded ten fatalities caused by unprovoked Shark attacks around the globe in 2023, double the number recorded in 2022. A total of 69 unprovoked attacks were recorded, which is in line with the five year average of 63. Four of the ten fatalities occurred in Australia, with two in the United States, and one each in the Bahamas, Egypt, Mexico and New Caledonia. Non-fatal attacks were recorded in the United States, Australia, New Caledonia, Brazil, Egypt, South Africa, Costa Rica, Colombia, New Zealand, the Seychelles, the Galapagos, and the Turks and Caicos islands.

There were a total of 69 confirmed unprovoked shark bites (green dots) and ten fatalities (blue dots) in 2023. Florida Museum.

The International Shark Attack File also recorded 22 provoked Shark attacks, defined as attacks caused by a Human provoking a Shark in some way, although these statistics are considered less useful for scientific purposes, as they do not relate to the Sharks' natural behaviour. While these were the result of multiple forms of Human behaviour, the most common targets of provoked attacks were spear fishers.

Three of the four fatalities in Australia happened off the Eyre Peninsula, a remote location in South Australia, noted for its wild beaches and spectacular surf. This area is also home to several Seal colonies, and a large number of Great White Sharks. Seals are extremely fast and agile swimmers, and Sharks have little hope of chasing them down in active pursuit, but they can sometimes be caught splashing around on the surface, by a Shark attacking directly from below. Unfortunately, a surfer paddling a board on the surface can look very like a Seal to a Great White Shark, leading to occasional attacks on surfers. The Sharks typically break of after a single exploratory bite, enough to determine that the surfer is not a Seal, but they are large Animals and can cause considerable damage with a single bite. 

The Eyre Peninsula is home to several beaches with substantial surf breaks, such as this one at Sleaford Bay. Mackfish/Wirestock/Adobe Stock/Florida Museum

Surfers are the most commonly attacked group globally, accounting for 42% of all bites. Many beaches in Australia have excellent beach safety programs, including rapid responders for Shark attacks. The Eyrie Peninsula, however, lacks any such support, and its remote location mean that help, if summoned, is unlikely to arrive quickly, and it is hard to evacuate Shark attack victims to medical facilities quickly.

Seven unprovoked bites, of which three were fatal, came from Great White Sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, in 2023. John Sears/Florida Museum.

The fourth Australian fatality was caused by a Bull Shark attack in a brackish river close to the coast ow Western Australia, the second of three species of Sharks known to have caused fatalities in 2023. An attack on the Red Sea coast of Egypt was carried out by a Tiger Shark, which was observed to return and attack its victim several times. This is typical of Tiger Sharks, which are an open water species, spending most of their lives in waters where prey is rare, and which are therefore more willing to take unfamiliar prey. The geography of the Red Sea, with a deep ocean trench close to shore, brings large pelagic Sharks (and other Fish) close to beaches with tourists, sometimes with fatal consequences.

While Shark attacks are alarming, they are extremely rare, with less than a hundred happening each year globally. Where rises in the number of attacks are observed, this is invariably as a consequence of more people entering the water, rather than Sharks becoming more dangerous. Some combinations of events can place Humans at greater risk of being attacked by Sharks, such as hot weather on holiday weekends. 

See also...

Sphyrna mokarran: Critically Endangered Great Hammerhead Shark found dead in Alabama.

A female Great Hammerhead Shark, Sphyrna mokarran, has been found dead on a beach in Alabama. The Shark, which was found to be pregnant with 40 pups, was found floating in shallow water off Orange Beach, and pulled ashore by a group of members of the public on 20 April 2023. They informed Orange Beach Coastal Resources, who in turn contacted the Marine Fisheries Ecology Group at Mississippi State University. The Shark was taken to the university for a necropsy (the term 'autopsy' is reserved for Humans), although the cause of death could not immediately be determined. The Shark had not eaten for some time, but it is normal for female Hammerheads to fast while pregnant, so this is unlikely to have been the cause of death. Several of the Shark's organs have been sent for chemical testing. It is possible that the Shark could have been caught and then released by fishermen, only to die later of the shock, something which the species is known to be prone to.

A female Great Hammerhead Shark found dead of Orange Beach, Alabama, on 20 April 2023. Orange Beach Coastal Resources.

The Shark was 4.3 m in length and was carrying 40 unborn pups, each about 40 cm in length. Given the current conservation status of the species, this represents a significant loss (although it is highly unlikely that all 40 babies would have survived till adulthood under any circumstances). The University of Mississippi intends to preserve the baby sharks for used in educational outreach programs.

Unborn Shark pups recovered from the uterus of a dead Great Hammerhead Shark which washed up in Alabama. Mississippi State University Fisheries Ecology Group.

Great Hammerhead Sharks are found throughout tropical and warm temperate areas of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, although genetic studies have suggested that this global population is in fact made up of two genetically distinct species, one found only in the Atlantic and the other in the Indo-Pacific. Population data is available from the Northwest Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Indian Ocean, and in all places the species has shown a dramatic population loss over the past three generations, for which reason it is classified as Critically Endangered under the terms of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. 

Distribution map for the Great Hammerhead Shark, Sphyrna mokarran. International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

The Northwest Atlantic population of Great Hammerhead Sharks is believed to have been overfished between 1983 and 1997, although there is uncertainty about how the population has fared since, with some studies suggesting that they have been spared overfishing since 2001, while others indicate that this has continued. Although the size of this population is uncertain, it is believed to have declined by at least 20% over the past three generations, a period estimated at 74.4 years for the Atlantic Ocean.

A Great Hammerhead Shark in life. Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch/International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Another study, based upon data collected from long-line surveys off the coast of the US, has indicated that the population of Great Hammerhead Sharks has recovered somewhat in the Northwest Atlantic since 2005, and that this may even represent a slight increase in the population over a three generation time-span.

In the Indian Ocean, data collected by the Ocean Natal Shark’s Board's bather protection program between 1978 and 2003 suggests that the Great Hammerhead Shark population fell by an average of 6.5% per year over that time, which would equate to a 99.3% reduction over three generations (calculated as 71.1 years in the Indian Ocean).

Data on the Great Hammerhead Shark population, data gathered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature from 20 separate fishing fleets operating in the area between 1998 and 2008 found a 61.7% decrease in the population over the ten year period, although this data was not considered reliable enough to extrapolate a three-generation trend.

In the Mediterranean, data on the Great Hammerhead as a separate species is not available, but overall data on Hammerhead Sharks, Shpyrna spp., indicates that the group has suffered a 99.99% decline in population since the early nineteenth century, effectively disappearing from this area. 

In the North and West Central Pacific it was again impossible to extract information for Great Hammerheads as a species, but data collated by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature suggests that the species is caught infrequently in these regions, probably indicating that it is present at only very low levels. Data is also limited from the coast of West Africa and tropical Indian Ocean, but fishing activity here is known to have increased significantly in recent decades, presumably applyinf pressure upon the species.

Based upon the data from the Northwest Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and southern Indian Ocean, the Great Hammerhead Shark population has undergone significant declines in population since the mid-twentieth century, although with some signs of a limited recovery in areas where properly run management schemes have been implemented. The Atlantic Population is believed to have undergone a decline of more than 50% over three generations, with a possible recovery in the Northwest Atlantic in recent years. In the Indo-Pacific region the Great Hammerhead Shark population appears to have declined by more than 80% over the last three generations, with no sign of a recovery anywhere in this range. 

Based upon this data the International Union for the Conservation of Nature classifies the Great Hammerhead Shark as Critically Endangered.

See also...

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Twitter.

Greenland Shark found on Cornish beach died of Meningitis.

A Greenland Shark, Somniosus microcephalus, which was found stranded on a beach near Newlyn Harbour in Cornwall, England, in March 2022, has been found to have died of Meningitis. The Shark, which was spotted on the beach on 13 March and recovered by a recreational boating company two days later, after washing back out to sea, was subjected to a necropsy (the term 'autopsy' is only used when the subject is Human) by the Cornwall Marine Pathology Team, which discovered it had been suffering from an inflamation of the membrane surrounding the brain (Meningitis). Later analysis of tissue taken from this membrane found that it was infected with the Gammaproteobacterium Pasteurella, known to cause Meningitis but mostly associated with domestic Mammals and never before reported from a Greenland Shark.

 

A Greenland Shark, Somniosus microcephalus, washed up on a beach near Newlyn Harbour in Cornwall, in March 2022. Cornwall Marine Pathology Team.

The Shark was found to be a female, and is calculated to have been about 100 years old, and therefore considered to have been a juvenile in a species that is thought to be able to be able to live for over 400 years. Greenland Sharks are a coldwater Sleeper Shark species found in the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans. They are piscivores (Fish eaters) and never attack Humans (species of Shark which target Marine Mammals will sometimes attack Humans, though they usually spit us out), and for the most part are not consumed by Humans either, due to the high levels of trimethylamine oxides (which are both toxic and foul smelling) in their flesh, though in Iceland Greenland Shark meat detoxified by fermenting is eaten as a delicacy, kæstur hákarl.

See also...

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Twitter.

 

Italian tourist dies after being bitten by a Shark in the Caribbean.

An Italian tourist has died after being bitten by a Shark while snorkelling of a beach on San Andres Island on the Caribbean coast of Colombia on Friday 18 March 2022. Antonio Straccialini, 56, from the Abruzzo Region of Italy was received a single bite to the thigh, and while he was able to pull himself out of the water, he died of blood-loss shortly after. The identity of the Shark is not completely certain, but there are reports of a pair of Tiger Sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier, being seen in the area before the attack, and this species is known to occasionally attack Humans.

A Tiger Shark in the Bahamas in 2012. Albert Kok/Wikimedia Commons.

Despite their fearsome reputation, attacks by Sharks are relatively rare and most attacks on Humans by Sharks are thought to be mistakes. Tiger Sharks have a diverse diet, including invertebrates, Fish, Birds, Marine Reptiles and Marine Mammals, which we superficially resemble when we enter the water. Marine Mammals are attacked principally for their thick adipose (fat) layers, which are a nutritious high-energy food, but which we lack. Due to this, when Sharks do attack Humans, these attacks are often broken off without the victim being consumed. Such attacks frequently result in severe injuries, but are seldom immediately fatal, and victims are likely to survive if they receive immediate medical attention.

 

The location of San Andreas Island. Google Maps.

Following the incident there are reports of local people organising a Shark hunt to find and kill the offending Animal, despite the fact that this is illegal in Colombia, where Sharks are protected, as well as pictures having been posted on social media of hunters with a dead Nurse Shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum, a species considered to present no threat to Humans. This has been condemned by environmental groups in Colombia, and in particular Colombian actor and dive master Victor Mallarino, who has observed that this response is completely inappropriate, and a consequence of poor public education about Sharks in the country. In Italy, meanwhile, many people are questioning why no alarm was raised after a Shark of a species considered to be dangerous was seen in the viacinity of Human bathers.

See also...

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Twitter.