Why have three shark species been listed as migratory?
The EPBC Act requires that species included in an Appendix to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) must be added to the list of migratory species under the Act. The three shark species were listed on Appendix II of the CMS in December 2008. The EPBC Act does not distinguish between species listed on Appendix I or Appendix II of the CMS; it requires that they all be listed as migratory species. Appendix II of the CMS contains migratory species which have an unfavourable conservation status. Sharks continue to be at risk internationally from over-fishing, illegal trade, habitat degradation, incidental bycatch and emerging threats such as climate change. The Australian Government is committed to international shark protection and conservation and was supportive of the inclusion of the three sharks in Appendix II of the CMS. Populations of the porbeagle, shortfin and longfin mako are all considered to have undergone substantial declines globally. Their continued interaction with fishe
