With their bright green eyes and slender bodies, gulper sharks are odd-looking, prehistoric creatures that have been around for millions of years. Found worldwide in waters from 200 to 1,500 meters deep, much about them remains a mystery.

But now, they face a crisis. Three quarters of gulper shark species are threatened with extinction, targeted for their liver oil, which is particularly rich in a chemical compound known as squalene, commonly used in cosmetics for its antioxidant and moisturizing properties. According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), shark liver oil has been found in a wide range of products from makeup, aftershave and sunscreen, to nicotine patches and hemorrhoid treatments.

New international trade protections, announced Nov. 28 at the 20th conference of parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, could turn the fate of these deepwater sharks around. In what has been hailed by IFAW as a watershed moment for marine conservation, more than 70 species of sharks and rays have been granted stronger protections against international trade.

Gulper sharks have been listed on CITES Appendix II, which regulates trade of the species across international borders and improves monitoring, while endangered whale sharks, oceanic white tip sharks and manta rays are among those that have been uplisted to Appendix I, which bans all commercial trade of the species and their products.

Luke Warwick, director of shark and ray conservation at the Wildlife Conservation Society, said in a press release that the latest decision could not have been more urgent: “Sharks and rays are the second most imperiled group of species on the planet, and many are running out of time. Today’s votes give them a real chance at recovery.”

The announcement is a particular win for the ocean’s deep-sea dwellers, which had previously been neglected by trade regulations. Before this moment, despite there being more than 145 sharks and rays listed in CITES Appendix II, none were deepwater species.

But as deepwater fishing becomes more common, driven by better technology and low fish stocks in shallow coastal waters, these species are increasingly at risk.

According to a 2024 study published in the journal Science that looked at the plight of 521 species of deepwater sharks and rays, nearly two-thirds of threatened deepwater sharks have been used in liver oil products. Gulper sharks, which can grow up to 2 meters in length, are particularly prized because their liver oil contains over 70% squalene, the highest percentage of any shark family. As a result, populations of gulper sharks have plummeted by more than 80% in some regions.

Such huge declines could be catastrophic for gulper sharks, which mature late in life and have slow reproductive rates. Once their populations are depleted, it can take years for them to recover.

刺鲨长着一双亮绿色的眼睛，身躯细长，是一种外貌奇特的史前生物，已存在数百万年。这种鲨鱼广泛分布于全球深水海域，人类对它们的了解仍十分有限。然而，如今它们正面临生存危机。由于其肝脏富含角鲨烯 —— 一种常用于化妆品中、具有抗氧化和保湿特性的成分，约四分之三的刺鲨种类正濒临灭绝。

据国际爱护动物基金会称，鲨鱼肝油被广泛用于化妆品、须后水、防晒霜、尼古丁贴片和痔疮膏等多种产品中。11月28日，在乌兹别克斯坦撒马尔罕举行的《濒危野生动植物种国际贸易公约》第20届缔约方大会上宣布了新的国际贸易保护措施，这可能扭转这些深海鲨鱼的命运。与会代表投票决定将70多种鲨鱼和鳐鱼纳入国际贸易保护范围，国际爱护动物基金会称此举是“海洋保护的决定性时刻”。

刺鲨已被列入《公约》附录II，这将加强对其跨境贸易的管制和监测。而鲸鲨、远洋白鳍鲨和蝠鲼等濒危物种则被升级列入附录I，意味着完全禁止对这些物种及其制品的商业贸易。

国际野生生物保护学会鲨鱼和鳐鱼保护项目主任卢克•沃里克在新闻稿中表示，这一决定来得再及时不过。他指出：“鲨鱼和鳐鱼是地球上第二大类受威胁物种，其中许多已濒临灭绝。今天的投票为它们的恢复带来了真正的希望。”

这一进展尤其有利于深海生物的保护，这类生物以往长期被贸易法规所忽视。此前，尽管已有超过145种鲨鱼和鳐鱼被列入《公约》附录II，但其中并无深海鲨鱼种类。

随着深海捕捞因技术进步和浅海鱼类资源减少而日益普遍，这些物种面临的风险持续上升。根据2024年发表于《科学》期刊的一项研究 —— 该研究关注521种深海鲨鱼和鳐鱼的生存困境 —— 近三分之二的受威胁深海鲨鱼曾被用于提取肝油。刺鲨体长可达2米，因其肝脏中角鲨烯含量超过70%，居所有鲨鱼家族之首，而显得尤为珍贵。也正因如此，部分地区的刺鲨数量已骤降超过80%。

如此急剧的数量下降对刺鲨可能是灾难性的：它们成熟晚、繁殖率低，一旦种群数量遭到严重破坏，恢复过程可能长达数十年。

(Translated by DeepSeek)