USFWS – Ensure Protection of the Silky Sharks at the CITES Meeting

There is grave concern about the preservation of wildlife like that of the coastal and oceanic Silky Shark that is found in tropical waters.  They get their name from their smooth and silky skin texture.  The Silky shark is also known as the Grey Reef, Olive, Whaler and sometimes Blackspot shark. Read more about this shark and the dangers they face at http://en.sharkiller.com/pages/main/dangerous_sharks/6531/index.shtml & https://secure.defenders.org/site/Advocacy;jsessionid=E5768E0C58B5362504EE2E2647DF87D6.app224a?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3091&s_src=3WDE1610A1XX1&s_subsrc=071116_ADVACTFF_cites_nondonor&autologin=true&utm_campaign=CITESA2D&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nondonors

The Silky Shark is threatened by over-catch for their meat and fins.  Their numbers have declined globally by about 70% in recent years and listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. They are considered a vulnerable species.  The Silky shark is a crucial part of the waters it inhabits but without protection could be a diminished species.

The effort in this petition is to urge the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Services to take a strong stand to help promote the listing of the Silky sharks at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting in September and ensure that they are given the protection they need to keep them from the brink of extinction.  You can help me with this effort by signing and sharing this petition, adding your own thoughts and ideas for the protection of wildlife like these sharks.