[The] conservation community had high hopes for the meeting in Doha of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

However, it failed to deliver much-needed protection to endangered shark species ("Bid to curb shark fin trade fails", March 24). 

Countries like Japan and China created the illusion that everything is business as usual. Rather than letting research drive policy, commercial interests won out. The failure at Doha forces me to admit an ugly truth, namely, that CITES  has nothing to do with protecting threatened species from unsustainable trade.

Instead, CITES ensures that trade decisions are conducted as if policies were passed at an auction house. Our hopes were high that the vulnerable would be protected. Instead, the governments lacking conservation credibility let commercial interests call the shots.

The choice at Doha was made: the price was right, so fishing species to extinction and ruining ocean health remains on the menu.  Now it's up to us. At the restaurants, hotels or wedding caterers, I hope we all choose wisely.

 

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