Press release CITES CoP20 n°6
Excellent news for eel traffickers
The proposal by the European Union, Honduras and Panama to list all eel species of the genus Anguilla in Appendix II with an implementation delay of 18 months was rejected by 35 votes in favour, 100 against and 8 abstentions after a secret ballot. A real beating. Monaco, Israel and the United Kingdom expressed their support. China, the United States of America and Canada, whose customs, tax and CITES authorities are confronted with shipments of glass eels from illegal farms and false designations, had long since announced their opposition. Glass eels are the fry of eels. Japan, a major consumer of eels and almost responsible for the eradication of Anguilla japonica, joined the chorus with Zimbabwe, which, on behalf of 50 African countries, lamented the administrative complications and the undermining of food sovereignty. Most glass eels come from poaching in the estuaries of the European Atlantic coast, as well as from poaching in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. A kilo of glass eels sells for between 3,000 and 8,000 US$ on the international black market.
Examples of seizures in “On the Trail”, Robin des Bois’ quarterly information and analysis bulletin endangered animals poaching and smuggling:
Senegal: see “On the Trail” n°45 p.145, ref.1 (published on June 25, 2025).
Canada: see “On the Trail” n°45 p.145, ref.4, and p.146, ref.5 (published on June 25, 2025).
United States of America: see “On the Trail” n°36 p. 215, ref. 8 (published on March 20, 2023).
China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region: see “On the Trail” n°44 p. 215, ref. 31, and p. 216, ref. 34 (published on April 15, 2025).
For sea cucumbers, slow and steady wins the race
The European Union’s proposal to list the species Actinopyga echinites, Actinopyga lecanora, Actinopyga mauritiana, Actinopyga miliaris, Actinopyga palauensis and Actinopyga varians in Appendix II was rejected following a secret ballot (50 votes in favour, 76 against and 9 abstentions). As a reminder, on November 21, 2025, judges in the Tonga archipelago imposed heavy fines on 3 smugglers, including 2 Chinese nationals, who were about to smuggle approximately 14,000 sea cucumbers out of the country. Actinopyga mauritiana are a staple of the Tongan diet.
“On the Trail” n°47 published on November 21, 2025, a few days before CITES CoP20, reports 19 seizures and cases of smuggling of sea cucumbers of all species and from all oceans in July and August 2025 alone (see in particular pp. 158-159). Sea cucumbers live at the bottom of bays and in coastal waters. They are detritus feeders and contribute to cleaning the marine ecosystems. They are increasingly appreciated in gastronomy and “gastropharmacy.” They are considered to cure or prevent sexual impotence, arthrosis, and tendinitis, among other healing properties.
On the other hand, following the listing of brown sea cucumbers (Isostichopus fuscus) in Appendix III in Ecuador on October 16, 2003, the listing of white teatfish (Holothuria fuscogilva), black teatfish(Holothuria nobilis) and Pacific black teatfish (Holothuria whitmaei) at CoP18 in August 2019, with entry into force on August 28, 2020, and the listing of pineapple sea cucumbers (Thelenota ananas), giant sea cucumbers (Thelenota anax) and red-lined sea cucumbers (Thelenota rubralineata) at CoP19 in November 2022, with entry into force on May 25, 2024, the European Union’s proposal to list golden sandfish (Holothuria lessoni) in Appendix II was accepted by consensus despite opposition from Japan and the Solomon Islands. The range area of golden sandfish extends from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
Holothuria lessoni © Joëlle Vincent
Good news for sharks and rays
The proposal to transfer the oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) from Appendix II to Appendix I, submitted by 7 South American countries, 6 African countries, 3 Asian countries, 2 Oceanian countries, the European Union and the United Kingdom was accepted by 110 votes in favour, 22 against and 6 abstentions following a secret ballot. Japan and China expressed their opposition to this proposal during the preliminary debates. The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) considers that the species does not meet the criteria for inclusion in Appendix I. “On the Trail” reported seizures of oceanic whitetip shark fins between 2014 and 2025 in Canada, the United States of America, Costa Rica, Mexico, mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
Mobula tarapacana © Viktor Peinemann
The proposal to transfer manta and devil rays (family Mobulidae) from Appendix II to I, submitted by 7 South American countries, 6 African countries, one Asian country and 2 Oceanian countries, was accepted by consensus. Between 2014 and 2025, “On the Trail” recorded seizures of gills, fins, cartilage, skin bracelets, whole or cut carcasses and poaching in Tunisia, Guinea, Mozambique, the United States of America, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Viet Nam, India, Sri Lanka and Spain, and issue 46 devoted its front page to the sicklefin devil ray (Mobula tarapacana).
Mobula tarapacana © Viktor Peinemann
The proposal to transfer the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) from Appendix II to Appendix I, submitted by 6 South American countries, 5 African countries, 4 Asian countries and 2 Oceanian countries, was accepted by consensus. Despite its listing in Appendix II since February 13, 2003 and in Appendix I of the CMS (Convention on Migratory Species) since January 26, 2018, the species remains threatened by trafficking in fins, gill rakers and liver oil used in cosmetics and food supplements in North American and European Union markets. Between 2014 and 2023, “On the Trail” recorded poaching and seizures of whole specimens and fins in Cameroon, Peru, mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Viet Nam, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Professional fishermen sometimes bring whale sharks into domestic markets under the guise of accidental catches and seek profit from them.
A whale shark sold at auction in August 2014 in Xianzhi, Fujian Province, China.
The squid fisherman hoped to earn the equivalent of 2,000 US$ © CFP
The proposal to include tope sharks (Galeorhinus galeus) and smoothhound sharks (genus Mustelus) in Appendix II, submitted by Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Senegal and the European Union, was accepted by consensus. Tope shark meat is traded internationally in both fresh-frozen and dried-salted forms. “On the Trail” recorded seizures of tope shark meat between 2022 and 2024 in Argentina and Mexico. Tope shark fins are smuggled to Asia, but the scale of the market is difficult to assess due to a lack of precise identification.
The proposal to list the 16 species of gulper sharks (family Centrophoridae) in Appendix II, submitted by 4 South American countries (Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Dominican Republic), 3 African countries (Comoros, Nigeria, Senegal), 2 Asian countries (Lebanon, Syrian Arab Republic), the European Union and the United Kingdom was accepted by 119 votes in favour, 19 against and 6 abstentions. The liver oil of these sharks is used in cosmetics and anti-ageing products, omega-3 supplements and vaccine adjuvants. The listing of these deep-sea sharks in Appendix II should impose more stringent transparency requirements in international trade in their by-products.
The amendment proposal concerning guitarfish (genus Glaucostegus), submitted by 17 African countries, 2 South American countries and 2 Asian countries, was accepted by 105 votes in favour, 23 against and 7 abstentions. Appendix II will now include “a zero annual export quota for wild-taken specimens traded for commercial purposes”. Guitarfish were listed in Appendix II during CITES CoP18 in August 2019, with entry into force on November 26, 2019.
The amendment proposal concerning wedgefish (family Rhinidae), submitted by 17 African countries, 2 South American countries and 2 Asian countries, was accepted by 118 votes in favour, 20 against and 2 abstentions. Appendix II will now include include “a zero annual export quota for wild-taken specimens traded for commercial purposes”. Wedgefish of the Rhinidae family were listed in Appendix II during CITES CoP18 in August 2019, with entry into force on November 26, 2019. Between 2016 and 2022, “On the Trail” recorded seizures of carcasses and fins of wedgefish in Gabon, mainland China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. On the black market, wedgefish fins are tending to replace shark fins.
Rhynchobatus australiae © Jasmin O’Brien
The proposal to list South African abalone in Appendix II in dried form only will be considered next week.
See all Robin des Bois publications on CITES CoP20 in Uzbekistan
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