Finning protection for five shark species
Five shark species have gained protection against finning, following "landmark" decisions made at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) summit.
Strictly controlled permits will now be needed to export fins of the oceanic whitecap, porbeagle and scalloped, great and smooth hammerhead sharks.
Greater protection was also given to the manta ray and all species of freshwater sawfish.
The votes came despite opposition from Japan and China, where shark-fin soup is considered a delicacy and is traditionally served at weddings. However the EU, US and Brazil were among those calling for protection.
Sharks are extremely vulnerable to overfishing, as well as being slow to mature and having few offspring. In particular, the oceanic whitecap population fell by 93 per cent between 1995 and 2010.
Fishing of the porbeagle was halted in the EU in 2010, due to the species' small numbers, but missed out on protection by one vote during the 2010 Cites summit.
Scalloped hammerheads are killed in their millions each year, with the two other species being protected to prevent their very similar fins being targeted instead.
Various wildlife conservationists have expressed their delight at the decision, described as a "landmark moment" by the head of the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) Cites delegation, Carlos Drews.
Elizabeth Wilson, manager of the global shark campaign Pew, said: "We are thrilled that the tide is now turning for shark conservation, with governments listening to the science and acting in the interests of sustainability.
"With these new protections, they will have the chance to recover and once again fulfil their role as top predators."
Cites is the world's biggest wildlife summit, in which 178 nations attend to improve the future of endangered species.
