The move has been made at the final meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in Bangkok, Thailand.

 

　　The decision restricts cross-border trade in the oceanic whitetip, the porbeagle and three types of hammerhead sharks.

 

　　It requires countries to regulate their trade by forcing them to issue export permits.

 

　　Failure of countries to comply can result in sanctions.

 

　　However, the move falls short of a broader environmentalists' call for a complete ban on shark fins.

 

　　Doctor Colman O'Criodain is with the World Wide Fund For Nature.

 

　　"We were never looking to shut down the shark fin trade. We simply wanted to see it regulated to make sure it was sustainable. We didn't want to take away livelihoods or anything, but at the moment, the level of trade isn't sustainable and the decision today will fix that."

 

　　The United Nations estimates around 100 million sharks are killed every year for their fins, which are considered a delicacy in certain parts of Asia.

 

　　A number of high-profile campaigns have been launched here in China to try to dissuade people from eating shark-fin soup, including a "full-court press" by former NBA star Yao Ming.