Make Calls for Makos

Thank you for those have made calls to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to advocate for CITES Appendix II protection for mako sharks.

But more help is needed, and needed quickly.

We're learning that the vote on this crucial protection for these very threatened sharks (longfin and shortfin makos) is going to be close and we need the support of the United States delegation. If CITES protection of makos matters to you, your delegates need to hear from you. Please call the Division of Scientific Authority at 703-358-1708. You can also email the office at scientificauthority@fws.gov but we recommend calls, even if your only option is to leave a voice mail.

In your calls, you can cite that both longfin and shortfin makos have recently been classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Furthermore, given their later age of reproductive maturity and lower number of pups in their breeding life, they need this protection for the population to stabilize; let alone to hopefully recover to sustainable numbers. Lastly, you can remind them that a key mission of CITES is to intervene in the survival of a species before it has collapsed; for makos, clearly the time to intervene is now.

Be the voice for the voiceless. Make calls for makos.