The party is not over until the fat lady sings!(or something like that!?) The victory of the porbeagle shark is not cast in cement until plenary tomorrow and the last vote. This was a huge shocker when we thought it was done and sealed, but not so, tomorrow the Japanese are likely to request another vote, if they get 1/3 support to do so. With their lobbying efforts in the last 24 hours or more it might not hold – it won by a close shave of 2 votes. But the hammerhead might also have a second chance…only tomorrow will tell. This whole thing is madness, indicative of humanity with its finger on the delete button – so easy to end a species, just press button 3 if you don’t support the proposal. (I need to add again that CITES cannot prevent species from going extinct, the issues are fraught with many complexities, but it is one of the only vehicles we have to give them just that last glimmer of hope.)
I’ve decided to write a book titled, ‘How to Survive Cites’. It will be a one pager: Rule number 1: Don’t go!
Doha, Qatar, at night.