ICCAT ACTIONS NEEDED TO CONSERVE SHARKS
Paris 19.11.10: Leading shark conservation unions the Shark Alliance and the European
Elasmobranch Association (EEA) are calling for concrete measures to curb over-fishing of
vulnerable Atlantic sharks at this week’s meeting of the International Commission for the
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in Paris. More than a dozen species of sharks are
commonly targeted or taken as bycatch in ICCAT managed fisheries. Depletion of these key
predators risks the health of entire ocean ecosystems.
The call for action targets loopholes in the current ICCAT ban on shark finning (the wasteful
practice of slicing off shark fins and discarding the body at sea) as well as the need for more
stringent catch restrictions for species judged at particular risk.
ICCAT currently allows fins adding up to 5 percent of a shark’s weight to be landed. Most
species’ fins weigh much less than 5 percent of their whole carcass. Higher ratios mean that
many more sharks can be finned without fear of prosecution. Finning also undermines effective
data-collection on species.
The Shark Alliance and the EEA call on ICCAT parties to prohibit the removal of shark fins at sea,
so that enforcement is simplified and identification of sharks is more straightforward.
“The most effective way to prevent shark finning is to require that sharks are landed with their fins
naturally attached”, said Nicole Aussedat, Shark Alliance coordinator in France, from the ICCAT
meeting. “We cannot wait any longer to enforce robust protection for these important predators,
which are so key to the balance of life in the sea.”
Intense global demand for the large, high-value fins of the oceanic whitetip (Carcharhinus
longimanus) has led to significant population declines, particularly in the Northwest and Central
Atlantic. An assessment by the SCRS in 2008 ranked the oceanic whitetip in the top five species
with the highest vulnerability and is classified by the International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) as Critically Endangered in the Northwest and Central Atlantic Ocean and
Vulnerable globally.
The fins of porbeagles are frequently found in the global shark fin market, its meat is among the
most prized of all sharks and is a highly traded product. Unsustainable fishing has led to the
collapse of the North Atlantic porbeagle populations, classified by the IUCN as Critically
Endangered in the Northeast Atlantic and Endangered in the Northwest Atlantic. The Shark
Alliance and the EEA are urging ICCAT parties to adopt a prohibition to fish and retain on board
vessels oceanic whitetip and porbeagle sharks in line with recent SCRS recommendations.
“Sharks are exceptionally vulnerable animals. Earlier this year, CITES failed to agree trade
restrictions for shark species, including the oceanic whitetip and porbeagle sharks, so it’s up to
ICCAT to step up to the mark and put in place the protection they so desperately need’, said
Heike Zidowitz, President of the European Elasmobranch Association (EEA).
ICCAT has also identified shortfin mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus) as a priority concern for over
seven years. Female shortfin makos reach maturity at about 18 years of age and only produce on
average 4-18 pups per litter during their gestation period, which can last up to 18 months. The
Shark Alliance and the European Elasmobranch Association call for concrete, precautionary
catch limits that would significantly reduce fishing pressure in the North Atlantic.
For further information or to arrange media interviews or B roll contact:
Sophie Hulme, sophie@communicationsinc.co.uk
Mobile: +44 7973 712 869
Dan Klotz, Communications Officer, Pew Environment Group, dklotz@pewtrusts.org
Mobile: +1 347-307-2866
Notes to editors:
A copy of the Shark Alliance position paper for ICCAT, which includes recommendations on
Hammerhead and Thresher sharks as well as the other species above, can be found at:
http://www.sharkalliance.org/do_download.asp?did=34262
The Shark Alliance is a coalition of more than 100 conservation, scientific and recreational
organisations dedicated to restoring and conserving shark populations by improving shark
conservation policies.
The Shark Alliance was initiated and is coordinated by the Pew Environment Group, the
conservation arm of The Pew Charitable Trusts, a non-government organisation that is working to
end overfishing in the world's oceans.
The European Elasmobranch Association is a non-profit umbrella organisation to co-ordinate the
activities of national European organisations dedicated to the study, management or conservation
of chondrichthyan fishes (sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras). The EEA is an association of
organisations, currently representing 12 European countries (UK, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, and
Switzerland). The EEA is a founding member of the Shark Alliance.
The resolution on RMFO positions of the EU adopted by the Annual General Meeting of the EEA
in November 2010 can be found at: http://www.sharkalliance.org/do_download.asp?did=34492