Good One, New Zealand I recently joined an e-mail campaign to try to get various countries to list spiny dogfish and porbeagle sharks on the CITES Appendix II, which would ensure some protection for the animals. (CITES stands for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.)

New Zealand, one of the countries on the e-mail list, voted against the proposal. But I did get a very nice e-mail back from the Honorable Chris Carter, that country's minister of conservation.

I represented New Zealand at the CITES meeting in the Hague. I listened to
the arguments and after very careful consideration I decided that New
Zealand could not support the proposal for a listing of the two species on
Appendix II of CITES. My main reasons for this were that only the North
East Atlantic populations of the two species met the biological and trade
criteria set out by CITES and that, in the end, a CITES listing would not
contribute greatly to changing the status of the populations of these
sharks in the affected area. A revision of EU fishing regulations would be
much more effective in protecting these local populations. What is needed
to improve the conservation status of the two shark species is proper
management of them in the North East Atlantic by the states concerned,
which to date has been conspicuously absent. The EU needs to show
leadership in resolving this issue.

Mr. Carter, I appreciate the response. New Zealand is generally outstanding on environmental issues, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt.

No response from the US yet.....  ¶ 7:43 AM