The Advisory Committee was established at the First Meeting of Signatories, September 2012. The tasks of the Committee include:

• Providing expert advice and making recommendations including suggestions on new initiatives and on the implementation of the MoU to the Secretariat and the Signatories
• Analyzing scientific assessments and making recommendations on the conservation status of shark populations listed in Annex I
• Preparing a report on its activities for each advisory session of the Meeting of Signatories
• Recommending to the Secretariat the convening of an urgent session of the Meeting of Signatories in view of emergencies which may arise

The members of the Committee are appointed as representatives of the Regions by the Signatories from each Region. Annex II sets out the Regions and the number of representatives for each Region (Africa: 2; Asia: 2; North America: 1; Europe: 2; Oceania: 1; South, Central America & the Caribbean: 2).

Appointed Advisory Committee members (last updated December 2018):