The Charles Darwin Foundation has become the newest Cooperating Partner to the CMS Sharks Memorandum of Understanding (Sharks MOU).
Santa Cruz, Galapagos, Ecuador, 16 March 2026, The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) formally signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the conservation of Migratory Sharks (Sharks MOU) during the Eighth Meeting of the Sessional Committee of the Scientific Council of CMS (ScC-SC8) on 18 December 2025, in Bonn, Germany, confirming CDF as the newest Cooperating Partner to the Sharks MOU.
The Sharks MOU is a specialized agreement developed under the auspices of CMS. It provides a global framework for Signatories and other stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to strengthen international cooperation for the conservation of migratory sharks and rays based on the best available science and the socio-economic significance of the listed species.
Since 2007, CDF has led long-term research on several migratory shark species listed under Annex 1 of the Sharks MOU, directly supporting the implementation of its Conservation Plan. Through long-term monitoring, applied research on migration and ecological connectivity, threat assessments, and capacity-building, CDF has advanced evidence-based conservation in the Galapagos and the broader Eastern Tropical Pacific region.
As a Cooperating Partner, CDF is committed to unlocking synergies in scientific and technical research, facilitating knowledge exchange, and bridging the science–policy gap to support the implementation of the Sharks MOU. This partnership creates new opportunities to co-develop conservation initiatives, enhance regional collaboration within the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR) coalition countries (Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama), and strengthen coordinated international action for migratory shark conservation.
Migratory sharks play an essential role in maintaining marine ecosystem balance. However, their wide-ranging movements expose them to risks beyond protected areas, making international cooperation critical.
This need for strengthened global cooperation will take center stage at the upcoming CMS 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15), to be held the 23-29th of March 2026 in Campo Grande, Brazil. The meeting will bring together governments, scientists, conservationists, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, environmental leaders, and civil society from around the world to address the urgent conservation challenges facing migratory species that cross international boundaries.
During COP15, proposals to include the Scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) and the Great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran), amongst other species, on Appendix I of the Convention will be discussed, underscoring the growing recognition of the conservation needs of highly migratory shark species. CDF will also contribute to the dialogue through its engagement in COP15 discussions and dedicated side event, Strengthening the Science-Policy Interface: Explaining the Ecological Connectivity of Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) region.
Pelayo Salinas de León/CDF
Pelayo Salinas de León/CDF
Pelayo Salinas de León/CDF
Through this new partnership, the Charles Darwin Foundation reaffirms its commitment to advancing rigorous science, regional expertise, and technical leadership to support the objectives of the Sharks MOU, in alignment with the Samarkand Strategic Plan for Migratory Species 2024–2032.
This alliance not only strengthens migratory shark conservation — it reinforces a global commitment to healthy oceans for present and future generations.
CDF extends its sincere appreciation to the Secretariat and Signatories for this opportunity and looks forward to working collaboratively in this important initiative. —ENDS—
Notes to editors:
For media enquiries please contact:
Charles Darwin Foundation
Ambre Tanty-Lamothe or Daniela Ibarra | comunicacion@fcdarwin.org.ec
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
Aydin Bahramlouian | press@cms.int
About the Charles Darwin Foundation
The Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galápagos Islands (CDF) is an international non-profit organization that has operated in Galápagos since 1959 under a special agreement with the Government of Ecuador. Its mission, and that of its Research Station, is to address the greatest threats and challenges facing Galápagos through scientific research and conservation actions, to protect one of the world’s most important natural treasures. Today CDF supports more than 25 research, conservation, and education projects across land and sea, and is the custodian of over 137,000 specimens in its Natural History Collections. Its diverse team of more than 140 scientists, educators, and support staff is composed primarily of Ecuadorian citizens, with over 60 % from Galápagos. For more information, please visit: www.darwinfoundation.org
About the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
As an environmental treaty of the United Nations, CMS provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats. CMS brings together the States through which migratory animals pass, the Range States, and lays the legal foundation for internationally coordinated conservation measures throughout a migratory range.
As the only global convention specializing in the conservation of migratory species, their habitats and migration routes, CMS complements and co-operates with a number of other international organizations, NGOs and partners in the media as well as in the corporate sector.
Migratory species threatened with extinction are listed on Appendix I of the Convention. CMS Parties strive towards strictly protecting these animals, conserving or restoring the places where they live, mitigating obstacles to migration and controlling other factors that might endanger them. Besides establishing obligations for each State joining the Convention, CMS promotes concerted action among the Range States of many of these species.
Migratory species that need or would significantly benefit from international co-operation are listed in Appendix II of the Convention. For this reason, the Convention encourages the Range States to conclude global or regional agreements.
In this respect, CMS acts as a framework Convention. The agreements may range from legally binding treaties (called Agreements) to less formal instruments, such as Memoranda of Understanding, and can be adapted to the requirements of particular regions. The development of models tailored according to the conservation needs throughout the migratory range is a unique capacity to CMS.
Access the text of the Convention on Migratory Species and the Appendices.