Randall Arauz (PRETOMA), Hector Guzman (STRI), Eduardo Espinoza (Galapagos National Park) and Alex Hearn (UC Davis) all attended a two-day workshop in Guayaquil to discuss the progress of national Shark Plans of Action for the nations comprising the South Pacific Permanent Commission (CPPS) and to provide input on the draft Regional Shark Plan of Action.

Migramar presented results of the Shark Research and Conservation Program of the Galapagos Marine Reserve in the Galapagos Science Symposium, which was part of the 50 year celebration of the Charles Darwin Foundation.

In February, Alex Hearn (UC Davis) and Randall Arauz (PRETOMA) attended the workshop on climate change and adapation options for cetaceans and other marine biodiversity of the eastern Pacific, organized by the Ministry of the Environment of Costa Rica (MINAE), WDCS, EcoAdapt, PROMAR Foundation, TNC, CI, IFAW and WWF, in collaboration with other partners.

The 9th Meeting of the Convention on Migratory Species was held at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, in November 2008. Eduardo Espinoza, member of Migramar and Head of Marine Research at the Galapagos National Park Service, attended as a representative of Ecuador, along with Manuel Bravo, from the Ministry of Environment. Several species of marine mammals were added to Appendices 1 and 2, but proposals to include sharks (such as the mako) were opposed by Chile, Argentina and New Zealand.

Migramar members Randall Arauz and Ilena Zanela attended the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain, to guarantee the approval of Resolution 4.111, titlted: Conservation of Leatherback Turtles Dermochelys coriacea and hammerhead sharks Sphyrna spp. in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor. The species is Critically Endangered, and has been pushed to the verge of extinction due to mortality induced by industrial fishing. A migratory corridor has been defined through which leatherback sea turtles migrate, between Cocos Island (Costa Rica) and Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), waters which are heavily fished by industrial longliners.

Migramar scientists from throughout the Eastern Tropical Pacific participated in a workshop in Manta, Ecuador, to discuss the developments of national Plans of Action for shark resources, and to provide technical advice on possible management measures. Countries presented their shark field guides - a first step in improving catch statistics. In many cases, onboard observers simply group all sharks together, making stock assessments almost impossible on a species level. It is hoped that these field guides, along with careful training, will improve our knowledge of what is caught by the large fishing fleets.