A blue shark accompanied by a navigator fish wanders the ocean. By: Patrick Doll – Created by the author, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikipedia
Washington, December 12, 2022, (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) : New research commissioned by Oceana reveals that vessels licensed to fish for tuna in Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) waters are actually engaging in large-scale shark fishing, including a massive commercial blue shark (Prionace Glauca) fishery with a market value of US$411 million.
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Oceana is a non-profit ocean conservation organization focused on influencing specific policy decisions at the national level to conserve and restore the world’s oceans. The headquarters of the organization is in Washington.
The first-of-its-kind analysis shows that the catch value of a blue shark exceeds the fishing value of any of the three well-known bluefin tuna species. The report confirms that the blue shark represents 60% of all reported global shark catches, with sole control of both the fin and meat of the shark, while there is still no direct management of the species.
Last month, at a conference on international trade in endangered species, world leaders voted to grant protection to 60 shark species, including blue sharks. According to this decision, these species can only be traded if it is proven that their quantities are managed sustainably. With the exception of a 2019 catch limit established under the jurisdiction of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), as an RFMO, blue sharks can be fished without any restrictions.
“Despite being considered one of the most resilient and widespread shark species, the blue shark population is threatened due to poor management,” said Philip Chu, Oceana’s senior director of global policy. “Without proper management, blue sharks and the ecosystems they balance face a dangerous future. Direct and active blue shark fishing management must begin immediately.”
This report analyzed global shark and tuna catch, trade and management data reported to the Food and Agriculture Organization and the various RFMOs. Researchers led by Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management Ltd found that almost 200,000 square tonnes of blue shark were legally caught and shipped in 2019, amounting to more than -7 million blue sharks. Of this catch, 90% was caught by large-scale commercial fleets, mainly longline vessels, with 74% attributable to countries fishing in distant waters. Spain and Taiwan account for roughly half of all blue shark fishing.
This research was prepared for Oceana’s Transparent Oceans Initiative – an international program that illuminates the global footprint of the world’s deepwater fishing fleets and catalyzes policy change to protect the ocean and the communities that rely on it.
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