In a significant advance for the cause of wildlife conservation, all trade in five specific species of sharks is now regulated worldwide.

That means that, without permits confirming the sharks in question have been caught legally and sustainably, the sale of their meat or fins will be banned, reported BBC News.

The new regulations were approved last year in Thailand at a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Shark numbers have been under severe pressure in recent years as the numbers killed for their fins soared, conservationists said in the BBC News story.

For instance, the oceanic whitetip was once a widespread large shark species, but its numbers have suffered a drastic decline.

So, even though it's true the shark does end up as bycatch in open sea fisheries, it's also known its large fins are highly prized for use in shark's fin soup, a delicacy in Asia, and in traditional medicine.

Some species of hammerhead sharks, recognized by their distinctive head shape, are also endangered.

All have been given added protection.

Porbeagle sharks, which are found in cold and temperate waters of the North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere and have a rather low reproductive rate, are threatened most by commercial fishing, as well as unintentional catches, according to the BBC News report.

Activists have sought to end the unregulated trade in sharks since the 1990s, but it wasn't until the CITES meeting in Bangkok last year when supporters of such measures finally rounded up enough votes to pass the ban.

From Sept. 14 onward, the oceanic whitetip, porbeagle and three varieties of hammerhead will be elevated to Appendix II of the CITES code, meaning traders will need to obtain permits and certificates.

Manta rays, also valued in Chinese medicine for their gills, will also be protected.

"Regulating international trade in these shark and manta ray species is critical to their survival and is a very tangible way of helping to protect the biodiversity of our oceans," said CITES Secretary General John Scanlon in a statement. "The practical implementation of these listings will involve issues such as determining sustainable export levels, verifying legality, and identifying the fins, gills and meat that are in trade. This may seem challenging, but by working together we can do it and we will do it."