Alejandra Goyenechea November 25, 2014 Santa Marta, Colombia Defenders of Wildlife ©Corel Corporation

Strategic Plan Mission: Defenders of Wildlife is a national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. Conservation Vision: Diverse wildlife populations in North America are secure and thriving, sustained by a network of healthy lands and waters. Conservation Approach: Prevent species and their habitats from becoming imperiled Protect endangered and threatened species and their habitats Restore the health of once-vulnerable species and their habitats

Defenders of Wildlife Attorneys at Defenders of Wildlife Domestic law (litigation, advocacy) International law Legislation and lobbying Congress Policy analysis Field office staff

Defenders of Wildlife International Laws Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Latin America: Plants, Amphibians, Marines) Convention on Migratory Species (Marine species) International Whaling Commission Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (Sharks) International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (Sharks)

Sharks and rays Present in CITES assisting Parties Worked on marine proposals since 2000 Present in CMS assisting Parties Co-Chair of the Species Survival Network (SSN) Shark and Amphibian Working Group

Shark Finning Support Parties on finning bans/fins attached Large sharks are overfished globally For many species of large sharks, populations are down by 90+%

Shark Finning

Shark Identification Guides 2013: Defenders co-organized workshop in Brazil for 28 countries on identifying shark fins

Defenders and Shark Conservation – U.S.

Endangered Species Act – can list U.S. or foreign species In 2014, National Marine Fisheries Service lists four distinct population segments of scalloped hammerhead sharks outside U.S. waters under ESA Defenders works for strong fishing regulations to prevent bycatch

ESA Campaign Building ESA political support is fundamental to: accelerating species recovery, increasing funding and defending the Act in Congress

Co-existence

Practical nonlethal tools

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