Our Sea Save Foundation field team is now approaching the end of our first week here in Uzbekistan, deep in the heart of CITES CoP20. It has already been an extraordinary, intense, and fast-moving start to this global wildlife summit — and while this update is reaching you later than planned, we promise there’s a good story behind that. (More on that tomorrow…)
Our Director, Georgienne Bradley, is joined on the ground by Jay Ireland (Advocacy Director), Tobias Meinken (Director of Education), and me, Phil Coles, Communications Director. Together, we’ve spent these first days navigating packed negotiation rooms, rapidly shifting agendas, and a few unexpected hurdles behind the scenes. Still, our mission remains clear: fight for the ocean’s most vulnerable species.
For those new to this process: CITES — the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species — is a United Nations body where representatives from nearly every country gather to determine how wildlife is traded, protected, and managed. Scientists present status reports on species and the pressures they face; governments debate and vote on what level of trade, if any, is sustainable. Those decisions become international law.
This year, the stakes could not be higher, and we’ve already seen some monumental moments.
Three of the species closest to our hearts — whale sharks, manta rays, and oceanic whitetip sharks — were brought forward for elevation to Appendix I. These proposals have now been debated and adopted by the Parties. (Spoiler alert: it was a very good day.)
But we’re not across the finish line yet.
All adopted proposals must still move through the ratification process at the end of the conference. This second vote is critical, and the period between now and then is when pressure, lobbying, and political maneuvering often intensify. We’ll be watching closely.
To explore all the marine proposals we’re championing, visit our CITES page:
https://seasave.org/cop20-cites-2025/
As we move into the final day of Week One, the atmosphere in Samarkand is electric. History is happening in real time. Decisions made here will ripple across ecosystems and economies for decades.
We’ll continue bringing you inside the process as it unfolds. And tomorrow, we’ll share more about why these updates are arriving a bit later than usual — let’s just say the challenges have been real, the team has been relentless, and the work has never mattered more.
Thank you for your support. It is your encouragement that keeps us here, fighting on the front lines for the species that cannot speak for themselves.
Here’s to a powerful second week ahead.
-Phil