US-backed proposals to protect the heavily fished hammerhead and oceanic whitetip sharks were narrowly rejected Tuesday over concerns by Asian nations that regulating the booming trade in shark fins could hurt poor coastal nations. Japan, which successfully campaigned against an export ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna and regulations on the coral trade, led the opposition to the shark proposal at the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. China, Indonesia and other nations that benefit from the trade in fins joined the opposition to the proposals arguing that trade restrictions were not the answer and would be difficult to apply.

Sharks lose fight at UN meeting. (2010, March 25). The Philippine Star, p. A-23.