The plight of hammerhead sharks and oceanic whitetip and hammer head sharks is dire, and as a diver, it is a deeply personal one for me. These magnificent creatures are not merely fish that occupy the ocean. They serve as a crucial component of marine ecosystems and support the balance and health of fish populations. Critically endangered due to overfishing and detrimental shark fin industry, populations of these sharks are steadily plummeting across the world ocean by as much as 98%. This decline has far-reaching effects, not only for marine life but also for local economies that depend on dive ecotourism. 

This petition is a plea for increasing international shark fin trade restrictions under CITES. We demand to increase uplisting of critically endangered hammerhead sharks and the oceanic whitetip sharks from  Appendix II to Appendix I. This would afford them the highest level of protection against international trade for their fins and other body parts, a fundamental step towards their survival.

Shark finning is a detrimental practice, causing millions of deaths annually, leading to drastic declines in shark populations worldwide. Although finning is largely condemned and illegal in many countries, the coveted fins from these species drive profits for their fins caught illegally or as bycatch.  Increased trade restriction and enhanced enforcement of international trade regulations is needed to ensure the survival of these critical marine species.

To save the hammerheads, the whitetips, and our oceans, we need to act now. Please sign this petition and contribute to the survival of these magnificent creatures and the preservation of our marine ecosystems.

We are entreating the delegates to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP20) to increase protection for these and other proposed species at the Coalition of the Parties CoP 20, to be held in in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from Monday, November 24 to Friday, December 5, 2025.