The world's top wildlife trade organisation increased protections on Friday for more than 70 species of sharks and rays, in a move conservationists hailed as a "historical win".

Signatories to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) backed increased trade restrictions on species from whale sharks to manta rays at talks in Uzbekistan.

Conservationists and experts have warned that shark and ray species face growing pressure from overfishing and climate change.

"This is a historical win for sharks, something we were strongly hoping for," said Barbara Slee, senior programme manager at the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

"Scientific data clearly shows sharks need to be treated as a conservation issue not a fishing resource," Slee to

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