Sharks in Trouble

8/3/2019 Sharks in Trouble

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Sharks in TroubleHunters Become the Hunted


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Most shark species are unable to withstand

the pressure o modern fshing technology and

practices.1 Their lie history characteristics

they grow slowly, become sexually mature

relatively late and produce ew ospring

make them especially vulnerable to

overfshing. Once depleted, shark populations

can take years, decades or more to recover.2 3

Some fsheries that collapsed in the frst hal

o last century have yet to recover. 4 5

This report provides an overview o the

status o sharks globally, including:


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Overview

Commercialsheriestargeting sharksexistthroughouttheworld. Sharksaresoughtprimarilyfortheir ns(forsharknsoup)andtheir meatbutalsofortheircartilage, lierandskin.

Upto73millionsharksarekilledeeryyear,accordingtoananalysisoftheHongKongsharkntrade.Thedemandforsharkns,meatandotherproductshasdrienumeroussharkpopulationstothebrinkof

extinction.

Sharkpopulationshae declinedbyasmuchas70to

80percent,accordingtoglobal reports.Somepopulations,such astheporbeaglesharkinthenorth westernAtlanticandspinydogsh inthenortheasternAtlantic,hae beenreducedbyupto90percent.

ThirtypercentofallsharkandrayspeciesarenowThreatenedor

NearThreatenedwithextinction,andaccuratescienticassessmentscannotbedoneonanadditional47percentofthespeciesbecauseofalackofdata.

Thehighestnumbersofreported sharklandingsarefrom: Indonesia;India;Taiwan,Proince ofChina;Spain;andMexico.

Thecatchingofsharksinsheries thattargetotherspecies(bycatch) isfrequentlyreportedinopen-sea

longlinesheriestargetingtunaand swordshandcanrepresentas muchas25percentofthetotal catch.Thisbycatchisconsidered tobeamajorsourceofmortalityfor manysharkspeciesworldwide.

Bluesharksmakeupaparticularlylargeproportionofsharkbycatchinopen-seasheries(47to92percent).

Thealueofsharknshas increasedwitheconomicgrowthinAsia(particularlyChina),andthisincreasedalueisamajorfactorinthecommercialexploitationofsharksworldwide.OnebowlofsharknsoupcancostUS$100.

Sharksplayanimportantroleinmaintainingthestructureandfunctionoftheecosystem.Theyregulatethearietyandabundanceofthespeciesbelowtheminthefoodchain.Impactsfromthelossofsharkscanbefeltthroughouttheentiremarineenironment.

Liesharkshaeasignicant alueformarineecotourism(suchasrecreationaldiing,snorkelling,andsharkwatching)thatismoresustainableandoftenfarmore

aluablethantheirworthtosheries.Whalesharktourism,forexample,isestimatedtobeworth$47.5millionannuallyworldwide,andsharktourismactiitiesintheBahamasgenerate$78millionannuallyfortheBahamianeconomy.

Toreersedeclinesinsharkpopulations,sharksanctuariesshouldbeestablished,andstrong,science-basedmanagementshouldbeputinplacebyallshing

countriesandinternationalbodiesthatregulatesharkshingandtrade.


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Sharks are targeted and caught as bycatchthroughout the worlds oceans and in fsheries thatuse surace, mid-water and bottom longlines, dritand set gill nets, and trawls.6 7 8 Sharks aretargeted primarily or their fns and meat butalso or cartilage and oils.9 A study used statisticsbased on data rom the Hong Kong fn trade toestimate that up to 73 million sharks are killedby humans each year.10 Ecosystem models andsome feld studies suggest that the loss o these toppredators could have signifcant impacts on manymarine ecosystems.11 12 13

This document summarizes the threats to sharks,ocusing on the number o sharks killed per year,the drivers o this mortality, the status o shark

species worldwide and the impact on ecosystemswhen large predators are removed. It alsoprovides management recommendations thatcan help reverse the steep declines o many sharkpopulations and begin rebuilding them.

GEORGETTEDOUWMA/GETTYIMAGE

C/OSTUARTCOvESDIvEBAHAM

ASONNEvANDERvAL/BLUEGREENPICTURES.COM


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Howmanysharksarekil

ledeachyear?

Whatistheresultointe

nsefshingpressureonsharks?

Whatarethemostsignif

cantcausesosharkmortality?

Whatarethedrivingorcesbehindsharkfshing?

Whathappenstoouroceanswhentoppredatorsarelost?

Whatisthevalueoaliv

eshark?

How many sharks are killed each year?

What is the result o intense fshingpressure on sharks?

What are the most signifcant causes o

shark mortality?

What are the driving orces behindshark fshing?

What happens to our oceans when toppredators are lost?

What is the value o a live shark?

Contents


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How many sharks arekilled each year?

A study o the Hong Kong shark fn marketound that humans kill 26 to 73 million sharks

each year.14

This is the only comprehensiveestimate o worldwide shark catches, and it isthree to our times higher than the estimateo the UN Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO).15 The disparity is probably due to theact that the FAO records only shark landingsand has no data related to shark catchesthat are unrecorded, recorded in non-shark

categories, or discarded at sea.16

Further, the estimate on global shark catchesrom the fn market study may be low becauselandings, particularly in Asia (e.g., Japanand Taiwan, Province o China), and discardso whole sharks at sea may not have beenaccounted or.17


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Howmanysharksarekilledeachyear?

The study o the Hong Kong shark fnmarket ound that humans kill up to73 million sharks each year.73M

SHAWNHEINRICHS


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The International Union or Conservation oNature (IUCN) Red List assessed 1,045 specieso sharks and rays and ound that 30 percent othe species are Threatened or Near Threatenedwith extinction.

30%


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Whatistheresultointensefshingpressureonsharks?


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Recentresearchhasdocumenteddramaticdeclinesinpopulationsizesformanyspeciesofsharksworldwide.Sharksaresusceptibletooershingbecauseoftheirlifehistorycharacteristics,whichincludeslowgrowth,latematurationandfewoffspring.1819TheInternationalUnionforConserationofNature(IUCN)RedListassessed1,045speciesofsharksandraysandfoundthat30percentofthespeciesareThreatenedorNearThreatenedwithextinction.20Theirndingsareasfollows:

ItisimportanttonotethattheIUCNhascategorizednearlyhalf(47percent)ofallgloballyassessedsharksandraysasdatadecientbecauseaailableinformationisinsufcienttoaccuratelyassesstheirextinctionrisk.Thestatusofindiidualsharkspeciesisoftendifculttodeterminebecauseofashortageoflong-termdataonshingeffortandspecies-speciccatches,landingsanddiscardsincommercialsheries.21222324Thefactthatsomanyspeciesareclassiedasdatadecienthighlightstheurgentneedforcountriestogatheraccurate,species-specicdatasothatassessmentscanbemade.

AsaDataDecientlistingsimplyindicatesalackofdata,itdoesnotmeanthataspeciesisnotatriskofextinction.Indeed,unlesssheriesmanagementimproesimmediatelyanddramatically,enhancedknowledgeofDataDecientspecieswillundoubtedlyndeenmoresharksandraysqualifyingforThreatenedclassication.2526Dulyet al.usedtheIUCNRedListCategoriesandCriteriatodeterminethestatusof21pelagic(openocean)shark

andrayspeciescommonlycaughtinhighseassheries.27Sixteenofthe21specieswereconsideredgloballyThreatenedorNearThreatenedwithextinction:

Threatened: Whaleshark(Rhincodon typus) Pelagicthreshershark (Alopias pelagicus) Bigeyethreshershark (Alopias superciliosus) Threshershark(Alopias vulpinus) Baskingshark(Cetorhinus maximus)

Greatwhiteshark (Carcharodon carcharias) Shortnmakoshark(Isurus oxyrinchus) Longnmakoshark(Isurus paucus) Porbeagleshark(Lamna nasus) Oceanicwhitetipshark (Carcharhinus longimanus) Giantdeilray(Mobula mobular)

Near Threatened:Blueshark(Prionace glauca)Crocodileshark (Pseudocarcharias kamoharai)Silkyshark(Carcharhinus alciormis)

Mantaray(Manta birostris)Spinetaildeilray(Mobula japanica)

Category

vulnerable

Endangered

CriticallyEndangered

Total Threatened

11

4

2

17

Percentage oAssessed Species

Category

NearThreatened

LeastConcernDataDecient

13

2347

Percentage oAssessed Species

JIM

ABERNETHY


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Whatistheresultointensefshingpressureonsharks?

Thebest-studiedoceanareaforsharkpopulationsisthenorthwestAtlantic.Studiescarriedoutthereinthepastfewyearshaereealedseeredeclinesinmanysharkspecies.

Otherstudieshaeindicateddeclinesasfollows:

Porbeaglesharkpopulationsareestimatedat10to20percentofunexploitedleels.31

NorthAtlanticshortnmakopopulationsareatabout50percentofunexploitedleels.32

ThenortheastAtlanticspinydogsh (Squalus acanthias)populationstandsatlessthan10percentofunexploitedleels.33

SandbarsharkstocksoffWesternAustraliaareestimatedatabout35percentofunexploitedleels.34OceanicwhitetipsharksintheGulfofMexicohaedeclined99percentsincethe1950s.35

Decline romUnexploited Levels

Species

Sandbarshark

Duskyshark

Hammerheadshark(3species)

64to71%28

80%minimum29

70%30

SHAWNHEINRICHS


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The most signifcant causeso shark mortality


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The percentage o all reported shark landingsin 2008 coming rom Indonesia; India; Spain;

Argentina; and Taiwan, Province o China.

45%

Whatarethemostsignifcantcausesosharkmortality?

JEFFROTMAN/CORBIS


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The most signifcant causeso shark mortality

Commercial shark fshingCommercialsheriestargetingsharksexistthroughouttheworld.Sharksaretargetedprimarilyfortheirnsbutalsofortheirmeat,cartilage,lierandskin.36Well-documentedcollapsesofdirectedsharksheries(wheresharksaretheprimarytarget)include:

spinydogshoffBritishColumbia37andtheNorthSea.3839

soupn(orschool)sharks(Galeorhinusgaleus)offAustralia40andoff

California.41porbeaglesharksintheNorthAtlanticOcean.4243sandbarandduskysharksinthenorthwestAtlantic.4445Thehighestnumbersofreportedsharklandingsarefrom:Indonesia;India;Spain;Argentina;andTaiwan,ProinceofChina.Theyaccountedfor45%ofreportedsharklandingsin2008.46Directedsharksheriesaretypicallycharacterizedbyaboomandbust

pattern,inwhichhighinitialcatchesarefollowedbyarapidcrashandusuallyresultinthesherybeingclosed.

Althoughsometargetsharksheriesarewelldocumented,therearemanyothersworldwideaboutwhichlittleisknown.Unfortunately,manyofthesesheriesoperateintheIndo-Pacic,wheresharkbiodiersityandendemismarehigh,whichmeansthatmanyobscure,range-restrictedsharksmaybeindangerofbiologicalextinction.

Shark bycatch fsheriesBycatchisthepartofthecatchthatisnottargetedthecollateraldamagecaughtalongwiththetargetedshspecies.Inessence,itisunregulatedandoftenunreportedandisconsideredtobeamajorsourceofmortalityformanysharkspeciesworldwide.4748Althoughsomesharkscaughtasbycatchmayberetainedandlandedforsale,oftentheyarethrownoerboardeitherdeadorseriouslyinjured.

Bycatchofsharksisparticularlyproblematicbecausesharksusuallyhaeslowergrowthratesthanthetargetshspecies.Sharkpopulationscanbeseriouslydepletedthroughbycatchfromasherythatmaybesustainableforthetargetspeciesbutnotforsharks.49Inpelagiclonglinesheries,sharkscanmakeupmorethanaquarterofthetotalcatch(andthereforeconstitutemoreofanunregulated/unmanagedshery,thantruebycatch).

FREDBAvENDAM/MINDEN/FLPA


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Whatarethemostsignifcantcausesosharkmortality?

Where

U.S.pelagiclonglinetuna/swordshsherySouthAfricanlonglineshery Australianlonglinetuna/billshsheryFijilonglinetunashery

Portuguesesemi-pelagiclonglineshery

When1992-2003

1998-200519991999

1997-1998

Percentage ototal catch

25%i

16%ii25%ii

25%+ii

33%iii

i - Abercrombie, D.L., H.A. Balchowsky and A.L. Paine. 2005. 2002 and 2003 Annual Summary: Large PelagicSpecies. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS SEFSC-529.

ii - Gilman, E., S. Clarke, N. Brothers, J. Alaro-Shigueto, J. Mandelmann, J. Mangel, S. Peterson, S. Piovano,N. Thompson, P. Dalzell, M. Donoso, M. Goren and T. Wernder. 2008. Shark interactions in pelagiclongline fsheries. MarinePolicy32:1-18.

iii - Coelho, R., K. Erzini, L. Bentes, C. Correia, P.G. Lino, P. Monteiro, J. Ribeiro and J.M.S. Goncalves. 2005.Semi-pelagic longline and trammel net elasmobranch catches in southern Portugal: catch composition,catch rates and discards. JournalofNorthwestAtlanticFisheryScience35:531-537.

Sharks Caught as Bycatch

NANCYBOUCHA/MARINEPHOTOBANK


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What are the driving orcesbehind shark fshing?


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Shark fns are considered one o the mostvaluable ood items in the world, reaching

prices as high as US$700 per kg.

kg

FREDBAvENDAM/MINDENPICTURES/FLPA


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FinsThealueofsharknshasescalatedinrecentyearswitheconomicgrowthinChinaandisamajorfactorinthecommercialexploitationofsharksworldwide.5051Thesharkntradeisdrienbyeconomic,traditionalandculturalfactors.52From1985to1998,sharknimportsto

HongKongandTaiwanincreasedbymorethan214percentand42percent,respectiely.5354IntheChinesemarket,tradeinsharknsgrewby6percentayearfrom1991to2000.55Sharknsareconsideredoneofthemostaluablefooditemsintheworld,56reachingpricesashighasUS$700perkg.57Theminimumalueoftheglobaltradeofsharknshasbeenestimatedat$400millionto$550millionayear.58

Sharknningthepracticeofcuttingoffthensatseaanddiscardingtherestofthesharkisamajorsourceofnsforthelucratieinternationalsharkntrade.Bykeepingonlythens,asingleesselcankillanextraordinarynumberofsharksonasingletrip.Forexample,in2002,theU.S.esselKingDiamondIIwascaughtbytheU.S.CoastGuardoffthecoastof

Guatemalawith32tonsofnsonboard(estimatedtorepresent30,000sharks),withoutthecorrespondingcarcasses.59Sharknningisoutlawedinseeralcountries,includingtheUnitedStates,CostaRica,SouthAfrica,theUnitedKingdom,Oman,ColombiaandthememberstatesoftheEuropeanUnion.Seeralregionalsherymanagementorganizations(RFMOs),includingtheInternationalCommissionfortheConserationofAtlanticTunas(ICCAT),

theInter-AmericanTropicalTuna

Commission(IATTC),theIndianOceanTunaCommission(IOTC)andtheWesternandCentralPacicFisheriesCommission(WCPFC),haealsoprohibitednning.Thereareoftennoclearguidelinesonhowthebansaretobeenforced,howeer,andloopholesremain.6061

What are the driving orcesbehind shark fshing?What are the driving orcesbehind shark fshing?

The IUCN advises thatsharks be landed with their

fns attached to prevent theexcessive mortality and wasteassociated with fnning.

JEFFRO

TMAN


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Wheresharknningregulationsexist,then-to-carcassratioisthemostwidelyadoptedmanagementmeasure,butitisnoteffectiewithrespecttoenforcement.Thisratioisintendedtopreentnningbyensuringthatthenslandedareproportionaltothebodieslanded.Thesharknsretainedusuallycannotexceed5percentoftheweightofthesharks

onboard.Thisratiohasseeralproblems:Itishighlyinconsistent,asitarieswithspecies,thechoicesofns,nningprocedure,thestateofthesharkcarcassandeenthedegreetowhichthensaredried.62Further,theratiosystemallowshighgrading,inwhichshingesselscanbringmismatchednsandcarcassestoport,keepingcarcassesfromsharksaluedfortheirmeatandthenon-matchingnsfromsharkswithhighlyaluablensbutlow-qualitymeat.

Sharksshouldbelandedwiththeirnsattachedtopreenttheexcessiemortalityandwasteassociatedwithnning.Further,a2006scienticpaperonnratiospreparedfortheICCATstatedthattheonlyguaranteedmethodtoaoidsharknningistolandsharkswithallnsattached.63Indeed,mostsharkexpertsagreethatthisstraightforwardapproachisthemostreliablemeanstoimplementanningban.

MeatSharkmeatismoredifculttoprocessthanmeatfrommostshspeciesbecauseofitshighureacontent,64whichalsomakesitlessmarketableinmanyareasandhasledtomanyspeciesofsharksbeingtargetedfortheirnsalone.Sharkmeatislesseconomicallyaluablethansharkns,ormeatfromothermorewidelyeatenshspecies,suchastunaand

swordsh.65Forexample,U.S.exportsofsharknsin2006hadaalueofUS$93.68perkilogram;bycontrast,freshandfrozensharkmeatwasworth$2.09and$1.94perkg,respectiely.66Howeer,shortnmako,thresherandporbeaglesharksareconsideredhigh-aluespeciesformeatintheEuropeanandU.S.seafoodmarketsandforsashimiinAsia.67Manysmallerspecies,suchasthespinydogsh,arealsocommonlyusedforfood.6869Somesharkspecies,suchasblueand

hammerheadsharks,aretargetedspecicallyfortheirnsbecauseofaperceieddifcultyinprocessingtheirmeat.70


CRAMW

ORLD


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What happens to our oceans whentop predators are lost?

The decline in shark populationscan lead to unpredictableconsequences, including the

collapse o important fsheries.


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Whathappenstoouroceanswhentoppredatorsarelo

st?

JIMABERNETHY


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What happens to our oceans whentop predators are lost?

JEFFROTMAN


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Whathappenstoouroceanswhentoppredatorsarelo

st?

Astoppredators,sharksplayanimportantroleinmaintainingthestructureandfunctionofthemarineecosystem.7172Thelossofsharkscancausedramaticshiftsinthemarineenironment,includingacascadeofindirecteffectsresultingfromchangesintheabundanceofotherorganisms.73747576Withoutsharkstoregulatetheabundanceofspeciesbelowthem,shiftsinpopulation

sizescancascadethroughoutthefoodchainanddisruptthebalanceoftheecosystem.

Thedeclineinsharkpopulationscanleadtounpredictableconsequences,includingthecollapseofimportantsheries.InthenorthwestAtlantic,forexample,populationsofsharkshaedroppedtothepointthattheymaynolongerfulltheirroleasatoppredatorintheecosystem.77OffthecoastofNorthCarolina,scientistsbelieethatthe

cownoseraypopulationexplodeddue

tothelossoflargesharks,whichhelpedkeeptheecosysteminbalanceandtheirpreyincheck.Withmorecownoserays,whicheatscallops,clamsandoysters,thebayscalloppopulationcollapsedandwasterminated.78Withthelossofthebayscallops,theclamsandoystersalongtheeasterncoastoftheUnitedStatesmayexperienceasimilarfate.79AmodeloftheFrenchFrigateShoalsecosysteminHawaiifoundthattheremoaloftigersharkspresentedasimilarscenario.Withoutthetigersharkstokeeptheseabird

populationincheck,increasedseabirdpredationontunaandjackscausedasignicantdeclineinthepopulationsoftheseimportantcommercialshspecies.80

Impactsfromthelossofsharkscanbefeltthroughouttheentiresystem.Incoralreefecosystems,suchasthoseintheCaribbeanandPacic,coralsdependonherbiorousshsuchasparrotshtoeatalgaeandproidespaceforcoralstosettleandgrow.81Whensharksareremoedfromthesystem,thelargersh,whichfeedonherbioroussh,increaseinabundance.82Withoutthesmallershto

eatthealgae,coralscannolongercompeteforspace.Asaresult,theecosystemswitchestoanalgae-dominatedsystem,lackingthediersityandabundanceofspeciesoncefoundwithinthecoralreefecosystem.83

Impacts rom the loss osharks can be elt throughout

the entire ecosystem.

GEORGETTEDOUWMA/GETTYIM

AGES


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Whatisthevalueoaliveshark?

It has been estimated that whale shark tourism,mainly through recreational diving, is worth about

US$47.5 million worldwide.

WOLCOTTHEN

RY/MARINEPHOTOBANK


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Liesharkshaeasignicantalueformarineecotourism,suchasrecreationaldiingandsharkwatchingfromboats,thatistypicallymoresustainableandoftenmorelucratiethansharkshingandtrade.8485SharkecotourismsitesincludetheBahiadelosAngelesconserationareainMexico;8687theSeychelles;8889SouthAfrica;90thePhilippines;91Phuket,Thailand;92theMaldies;93Belize;94andNingalooMarineParkinWesternAustralia.95Indeed,researchersdocumentmorethan200sharkdietourismoperationsaroundtheworld.96Althoughmanysharkspeciesarethefocusofmarineecotourism,97large,charismaticspeciesyieldthehighestreenue.Ithasbeenestimatedthatwhalesharktourism,mainlythroughrecreationaldiing,isworthaboutUS$47.5millionworldwide.98

InAustralia,thealueofeachliingwhalesharkwasestimatedatAU$282,000,99andinBelize,thealuewasputatUS$2.09millionoerasharkslifetime,or$34,906ayear.100IntheMaldies,indiidualgreyreefsharkswereestimatedtohaeanannualalueofUS$33,500in1993.101In2005,whalesharkecotourismcreated300jobs,anincreaseinannualincomeandaneconomicreturnofaboutUS$623,000inDonsol,Philippines.102Finally,a2010studyfoundthatanindiidualreefsharkinPalauwas

estimatedtohaeanannualalueofUS$179,000andalifetimealueofUS$1.9milliontothetourismindustry.103

In Australia, the value o each livingwhale shark was estimated at

AU$282,000, and in Belize the valuewas put at US$2.09 million over asharks lietime, or $34,906 a year.

C/OSTUARTCOvESDIvEBAHAMAS


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Location

Ningaloo,AustraliaSeychelles Gansbaai,S.AfricaBelize

Donsol,PhilippinesCanaryIs.,SpainIndo-Pacicregion

ActivityWhalesharktours

Whalesharkresearch/toursSharkdiingWhalesharktours

Whalesharkwatching

SharkdiingSharkdiing

Value(millions)*

US$5.93

US$2.02US$4.4US$3.7

US$0.62US$24.7US$40

Year

2006aProjectedannuallyb2000/2001cAnnuallyd

AnnuallyeAnnuallyfAnnuallyg

a - Jones, T., D. Wood, J. Catlin and B. Norman. 2009. Expenditure and ecotourism: predictors o expenditure or whaleshark tour participants. JournalofEcotourism 8:32-50.b - Rowat, D. and U. Engelhardt. 2007. Seychelles: a case study o community involvement in the development o whaleshark ecotourism and its socio-economic impact. FisheriesResearch84:109-113.c - Hara, M., I. Majaraj and L. Pithers. 2003. Marine-based Tourism in Gansbaai: A Socio-economic Study. Programme orLand and Agrarian Studies, University o the Western Cape, Bellville.d - Graham, R.T. 2003. Behavior and conservation o whale sharks on the Belize Barrier Ree. Dissertation, University o

York.e - Quiros, A.L. 2005. Whale shark ecotourism in the Philippines and Belize: evaluating conservation and communitybenefts. Tropical Resources Bulletin 24:42-48. - De la Cruz Modino, R., Esteban, A., Crilly, R. & Pascual- Fernndez, J. (2010). Bucear con tiburones y rayas en Espaa.Anlisis de su potencial en Espaa y de los benefcios econmicos de la actividad en las Islas Canarias. Instituto Universi-tario de Ciencias Polticas y Sociales de la Universidad de La laguna y ne, 39 pp.g Vianna, G., M. Meekan, D. Pannell, S. Marsh, and J. Meeuwig. 2010. Wanted Dead or Alive? The relative value oree sharks as a fshery and an ecotourism asset in Palau. Australian Institute o Marine Science and University o WesternAustralia, Perth.

*For consistency and ease in comparison, non-USD fgures were converted to USD in October 2010.

Shark Tourism Values in Selected Locations

JIMABERNETHY

Whatisthevalueoaliveshark?


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Conclusions and recommendations

Fishing countries should:

Establishsharksanctuarieswithintheir waters,includingtheirfullexclusie economiczones(EEZ),wheresharksare fullyprotectedfromexploitation. DeiseandimplementeffectieNational PlansofActionforsharks. Endshingofsharksthatare

ThreatenedorNearThreatenedwithextinctionandsharksthatdonothaescience-basedmanagementplansinplace.

Enactlegislationprohibitingtheremoal ofsharknsatsea. Worktoeliminatesharkbycatch. Enactimmediateprotectionsforspecies listedbymultilateralagreementssuch astheConentiononMigratorySpecies (CMS)andtheConentionon InternationalTradeinEndangered SpeciesofWildFaunaandFlora(CITES). Imposeprecautionarysharkcatchlimits thatarebasedonsoundscience. Improespecies-specicsheriesand tradedatacollection.

Generatehigh-qualityscienticresearch onsharksheries,sharkpopulation status,andnationalandinternational tradetoinformdecisionmakingthatis precautionaryandecosystem-based.

The exploitation o sharks in commercial fsheries or theirfns, meat, liver oil, cartilage and other parts remains largelyunregulated across most o the world. Overfshing, excessivebycatch, a lack o scientifc data, poor management, shark

fnning and the lack o political will to adopt best practiceshave led to declines in populations o many shark speciesworldwide. To reverse these declines, Pews Global SharkConservation campaign believes concerted action must betaken by all fshing countries and international bodies thatregulate shark fshing and trade, including:

RFMOs and bodies tasked withregulating shark fsheries andtrade should:Adoptbindingmeasuresprohibitingtheshingandretentionofsharkspeciesthatdonothaescience-basedsherymanagementplansorarelistedbytheIUCNasbeingThreatenedorNearThreatenedwithextinction.Adoptbindingmeasuresthatprohibittheremoalofsharknsatsea.Requiretheirmemberstoproide

reliable,species-specicdataonlandingsanddiscardsandimposemeaningfulpenaltiesonthosewhodonotcomply.Ensurefullindependentobserercoerageofesselsshingwithintheareastheymanage.Adoptgearmodicationsandothermeasures,suchasbansonwireleaders,toensurethatbycatchofsharksisminimizedasmuchaspossible.

A

MOSNACHOUM/CORBIS


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Conclusionsandrecommendations


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2 Corts, E., et al. (2006a). Stock assessment o the duskyshark in the U.S. Atlantic and Gul o Mexico. SustainableFisheries Division Contribution SFD-2006-014. .

3 National Marine Fisheries Service. (2006). SEDAR 11 Stockassessment report: large coastal shark complex, blacktip andsandbar shark. NMFS Oce o Sustainable Fisheries, SilverSpring, Md. .

4 Fowler, S.L., (2005). Basking Shark. In: S.L. Fowler, R.D.Cavanagh, M. Camhi, G.H. Burgess, G.M. Cailliet, S.V.Fordham, C.A. Simpendorer and J.A. Musick, (2005). In:Sharks, rays and chimaeras: The status o the chondrichthyanshes. IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland,Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

5 Campana, S., et al. (2008). The rise and all (again) o theporbeagle shark population in the northwest Atlantic. In:

M.D. Camhi, E.K. Pikitch and E.A. Babcock (Eds.), Sharkso the Open Ocean: Biology, Fisheries and Conservation,pp. 445-461. Blackwell Publishing, Oxord, England. .

6 Gilman, E., et al. (2008). Shark interactions in pelagic longlinesheries. Marine Policy 32:1-18. .

7 Camhi, M.D., et al. (2009). The conservation status o pelagicsharks and rays: report o the IUCN Shark Specialist Group,Pelagic Shark Red List Workshop. IUCN Species SurvivalCommission Shark Specialist Group, Newbury, England..

8 Morgan, A., et al. (2009). An overview o the United StatesEast Coast bottom longline shark-shery, 1994-2003. MarineFisheries Review71:23-38. .

9 Vannuccini, S. (1999). Shark utilization, marketing andtrade. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper 389. .

10 Clarke, S.C., et al. (2006a). Global estimates o shark catchesusing trade records rom commercial markets. Ecology Letters9:1115-1126. .

11 Stevens, J.D., et al. (2000). The eects o shing on sharks,rays, and chimaeras (chondrichthyans), and the implications ormarine ecosystems. ICES Journal o Marine Science57:476-494. .

12 Bascompte, J., C.J. Melin and E. Sala. (2005). Interactionstrength combinations and the overshing o a marine oodweb. Proceedings o the National Academy o Sciences102:5443-5447. .

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13 Myers, R.A., et al. (2007). Cascading eects o the losso apex predatory sharks rom a coastal ocean. Science315:1846- 1850. .

14 Clarke, S.C., et al. (2006a).

15 Ibid.

16 Ibid.

17 Ibid.

18 Corts, E. (2002). Incorporating uncertainty intodemographic modeling: Application to shark populationsand their conservation. Conservation Biology16:1048-1062..

19 Heppell, S.S., L.B. Crowder and T.R. Menzel. (1999). Lietable analysis o long-lived marine species with implicationsor conservation and management. In: J.A. Musick (Ed.),Lie in the slow lane: ecology and conservation o long-livedmarine animals, pp. 137-148. American Fisheries SocietySymposium, Bethesda, Md. .

20 Camhi, M.D., et al. (2009).

21 Ibid.

22 Stevens, J.D., et al. (2000).

23 Bonl, R. (2005). Fishery stock assessment models andtheir application to sharks. In: J.A. Musick and R. Bonl (Eds.),Management Techniques or Elasmobranch Fisheries, pp. 154-181. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper 474, Food and AgricultureOrganization o the United Nations, Rome. .

24 Anderson, E.D. 1990. Fishery models as applied toelasmobranch sheries. In: H.L. Pratt, Jr., S.H. Gruber and T.Taniuchi (Eds.), Elasmobranchs as Living Resources: Advances in

the Biology, Ecology, Systematics, and the Status o Fisheries,pp. 473-484. NOAA Technical Report NMFS 90. .

25 Gibson, C., et al. (2008). The conservation o northeastAtlantic chondrichthyans: report o the IUCN Shark SpecialistGroup Northeast Atlantic Red List Workshop. IUCN SpeciesSurvival Commission Shark Specialist Group, Newbury,England. viii + 76 pp. .

26 Camhi, M.D., et al. (2009).

27 Dulvy, N.K. et al. (2008). You can swim but you cant hide:the global status and conservation o oceanic pelagic sharksand rays. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and FreshwaterEcosystems 18:459-482. .

28 National Marine Fisheries Service. (2006).

29 Corts, E., et al. (2006a).

30 Jiao, Y., C. Hayes and E. Corts. (2009). HierarchicalBayesian approach or population dynamics modeling o sh

complexes without species-specic data. ICES Journal oMarine Science66:367-387. .

31 Campana, S., et al. (2008).

32 International Commission or the Conservation o AtlanticTunas (ICCAT). (2008). Report o the 2008 shark stockassessments meeting. SCRS/2008/014. .33 International Council or the Exploration o the Sea (ICES).2006. Report o the working group on elasmobranch fshes(WGEF). ICES CM 2006/ACFM. .

34 McAuley, R. (2008a). Northern shark sheries status report.In: W.J. Fletcher and K. Santoro (Eds.), State o the FisheriesReport 2008/09, pp. 172-177. Department o Fisheries, Perth,Australia. .

35 Baum, J. K. and Myers, R. A. (2004). Shiting baselines and

the decline o pelagic sharks in the Gul o Mexico. EcologyLetters 7:135145. .

36 Vannuccini, S. (1999).

37 Ketchen, K.S. (1986). The spiny dogsh (Squalus acanthias)in the northeast Pacic and a history o its utilization. CanadianSpecial Publication o Fisheries and Aquatic Science88.

38 Ho, T.B. and J.A. Musick. (1990). Western North Atlanticshark fshery management problems and inormationalrequirements . NOAA Technical Report NMFS 90:455-472..

39 Holden, M.J. (1968). The rational exploitation o theScottish-Norwegian stocks o spurdogs (Squalus acanthias L.).Fisheries Investigation o the Ministry o Fisheries and FoodU.K. 25:1-28.

40 Olsen, A.M. (1959). The status o the school shark shery

in southeastern Australia waters. Australian Journal o Marineand Freshwater Research 10:150-176. .

41 Ripley, W.E. (1946). The soup-n shark and the shery.Fisheries Bulletin 64:7-37. .

42 Campana, S., et al. (2008).

43 Campana, S., et al. (2001). Analytical assessment o theporbeagle shark (Lamna nasus) population in the northwestAtlantic with estimates o long-term sustainable yield. CanadianScience Advisory Secretariat Research Document 2001/067..


45 Corts, E., et al. (2006a).

46 Food And Agriculture Organization (FAO) FishStat CaptureProduction Data or 2008. .


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47 Mandelman, J.W., et al. (2008). Shark bycatch anddepredation in the U.S. Atlantic pelagic longline shery. Reviewo Fish Biology and Fisheries 18:427-442. .

48 Gilman, E., et al. (2007). Shark depredation and unwantedbycatch in pelagic longline fsheries: industry practices andattitudes, and shark avoidance strategies. Western PacicRegional Fishery Management Council, Honolulu. .

49 Musick, J. A., et al. (2000). Management o sharks andtheir relatives (Elasmobranchii). Fisheries 25(3):913. .50 Clarke, S.C., E.J. Milner-Gulland and T. Bjorndal. (2007).Social, economic and regulatory drivers o the shark n trade.Marine Resource Economics 22:305-327. .

51 Clarke, S. (2004a). Shark product trade in Hong Kong andmainland China and implementation o the CITES shark listings.TRAFFIC East Asia, Hong Kong. .

52 Clarke, S. (2004b). Understanding pressures on sheryresources through trade statistics: a pilot study o ourproducts in the Chinese dried seaood market. Fish andFisheries 5:53-74. .


54 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2001). FAOYearbook, Fishery Statistics, Commodities. Food andAgriculture Organization o the United Nations, Rome. .

55 Clarke, S. (2004b).

56 Fong, Q.S.W., and J.L. Anderson. (2002). International sharkn markets and shark management: an integrated marketpreerence-cohort analysis o the blacktip shark (Carcharhinuslimbatus). Ecological Economics 40:117-130. .

57 Clarke, S. (2004a).

58 Clarke, S.C., E.J. Milner-Gulland and T. Bjorndal. (2007).

59 National Marine Fisheries Service. (2008). 2008 SharkFinning Report to Congress: Pursuant to the Shark FinningProhibition Act o 2000 (Public Law 106-557). .

60 Camhi, M.D., et al. (2009).


62 Corts, E. and Neer, J.A. (2006b). Preliminary reassessmento the validity o the 5% n to carcass weight ratio or sharks.Collect. Vol. Sci. Pap. ICCAT 59(3): 1025-1036. .

63 Ibid.


65 Anak, N.A. (2002). An overview o sharks in world andregional trade. In: S.L Fowler, T.M. Reed and F.A. Dipper (Eds.),Elasmobranch biodiversity, conservation and management

proceedings o the international seminar and workshop,Sabah, Malaysia, July 1997, pp. 25-32. IUCN SSC 2002, Gland,

Switzerland. .

66 National Marine Fisheries Service. (2009). Stock assessmentand fshery evaluation (SAFE) report or Atlantic highlymigratory species. NMFS Oce o Sustainable Fisheries, SilverSpring, Md. .


68 Ibid.69 Ketchen, K.S. (1986).


71 Piraino, S., G. Fanelli and F. Boero. (2002). Variability ospecies roles in marine communities: change o paradigms orconservation priorities. Marine Biology140:1067-1074. .72 Stevens, J.D., et al. (2000).

73 Baum, J.K. and B. Worm. (2009). Cascading top-downeects o changing oceanic predator abundances. Journal oAnimal Ecology78:699-714. .

74 Myers, R.A., et al. (2007).

75 Duy, J.E. (2003). Biodiversity loss, trophic skew andecosystem unctioning. Ecology Letters 6:680-687. .

76 Schindler, D.E., et al. (2002). Sharks and tunas: sheriesimpacts on predators with contrasting lie histories. EcologicalApplications 12:735-748. .

77 Myers, R.A., et al. (2007).

78 Ibid.

79 Ibid.

80 Stevens, J.D., et al. (2000).

81 Mumby, P.J., et al. (2007). Trophic cascade acilitates coralrecruitment in a marine reserve. Proceedings o the NationalAcademy o Sciences 104(20): 8362-8367. .

82 Bascompte, J., C.J. Melin and E. Sala. (2005).

83 Ibid.

84 Rodriguez-Dowdell, N., R. Enriques-Andrade and N.Crdenas-Torres. (2007). Property rights-based management:whale shark ecotourism in Bahia de los Angeles, Mexico.Fisheries Research 84:119-127. .85 Newman, H.E., A.J. Medcrat and J.G Colman. (2002).

Whale shark tagging and ecotourism. In: S.L Fowler, T.M. Reedand F.A. Dipper (Eds.), Elasmobranch biodiversity, conservationand management proceedings o the international seminar andworkshop, Sabah, Malaysia, July 1997, pp. 230-235. IUCN SSCShark Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland. .

86 Rodriguez-Dowdell, N., et al. (2007).

87 Cheng, Z.Y. (2009). Research on the sustainabledevelopment o ecotourism in protected areas: a review.

Ecological Economy5:410-419. .

88 Ibid.

89 Rowat, D. and U. Engelhardt. (2007). Seychelles: a casestudy o community involvement in the development o whaleshark ecotourism and its socio-economic impact. FisheriesResearch 84:109-113. .

90 Hara, M., I. Majaraj and L. Pithers. (2003). Marine-basedtourism in Gansbaai: a socio-economic study. Programmeor Land and Agrarian Studies, University o the WesternCape, Bellville, South Arica. .

91 Newman, H.E., A.J. Medcrat and J.G Colman. (2002).

92 Bennett, M., P. Dearden and R. Rollins. (2003). Thesustainability o dive tourism in Phuket, Thailand. In: H.Landsdown, P. Dearden and W. Neilsen (Eds.), Communitiesin SE Asia: Challenges and Responses, pp. 97-106. Centeror Asia Pacic Initiatives, University o Victoria, Victoria, B.C..93 Anderson, R.C. and H. Ahmed. (1993). The shark fsherieso the Maldives. Ministry o Fisheries and Agriculture, Maldivesand the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome. .

94 Graham, R.T. (2004). Global whale shark tourism: a goldengoose o sustainable lucrative tourism. Shark News 16..

95 Newman, H.E., A.J. Medcrat and J.G. Colman. (2002).

96 Carwardine, M. and K. Watterson. (2002). The sharkwatchers handbook: a guide to sharks and where to see them.Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J.

97 Ibid.

98 Graham, R.T. (2004).

99 Norman, B. and J. Catlin. (2007). Economic importanceo conserving whale sharks. International Fund or AnimalWelare. .

100 Graham, R.T. (2004).

101 Anderson, R.C. and H. Ahmed. (1993).

102 Quiros, A.L. (2005). Whale shark ecotourism in thePhilippines and Belize: evaluating conservation and communitybenets. Tropical Resources Bulletin 24:42-48. .

103 Vianna, G., M. Meekan, D. Pannell, S. Marsh, and J.Meeuwig. 2010. Wanted Dead or Alive? The relative value

o ree sharks as a fshery and an ecotourism asset in Palau.Australian Institute o Marine Science and University oWestern Australia, Perth.


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