U.S. stands strong for sharks

This fishery needs to take into account the impact of its actions on sharks and, in particular the sharks that are most vulnerable, and we do need to take steps to ensure that our activities don’t undermine those stocks” - Russell Smith, U.S. Delegation’s Head of Mission

Pacific sharks have found a champion in the form of Russell Smith - who says the conservation measures on the table for sharks do not go far enough.

Here in Samoa for the 11th Regular Session of the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, as the U.S. Delegation Head of Mission, Mr Smith said his team had a couple of issues with the proposal put forward by member of the Forum Fisheries Agency (F.F.A.).

The plan that is on the table is Proposal for Shark Conservation and Management Measure within the Western Central Pacific Fishery.

“(A) helpful proposal that is on the table, that has actually been on the table for a while, has to do with the management of sharks,” Mr Smith said.

“There are a couple of issues that we have with it and we continue to work with them to try and over come those issues. "

“We are very much committed to the idea that this fishery needs to manage on a ecosystem basis."

“This fishery needs to take into account the impact of its actions on sharks and in particular the sharks that are most vulnerable and we do need to take steps to ensure that our activities don’t undermine those stocks.

“So I am also hopeful that we can find a way to bridge the few gaps that exist.”

He said for the U.S. one of the key issues was in relation to the fins of the fish.

According to the states of the Western and Central Pacific Fishery Commission (W.C.P.F.C.) governing body (C.C.M.s) requires that any shark landed by all purse seine, pole and line and long line vessels must have all its fins intact.

“Including the tail fin naturally attached in order to guarantee that no finning occurs at sea and to facilitate the collection of critical data about shark mortality,” the report reads.

“Fins may be cut so they can be folded but must remain naturally attached and not be completely severed from the carcass."

“For the purpose of this measure the term “carcass” means all parts of the shark except for the head and viscera.”

However, the report further says that fins may be removed at sea in national waters where coastal states have regulations for monitoring and data collection, including through the development and notification of species specific fin to weight ratios, for their domestic vessels that are sufficient to guarantee that no fins are landed without corresponding carcasses and to collect critical data about shark mortality.

It does say that if any costal state C.C.M. adopts any measure under this paragraph, they should be sufficient enough to enable the W.C.P.F.C. Technical and Compliance Committee to assess the effectiveness of it.

Mr Smith says this is not good enough.

“For us what is one of the key issues is the issue of requiring that sharks be landed with their fins naturally attached and of having that requirement applied to all fleets with no exceptions,” he said.

“We think this is both necessary in terms of control in terms of ensuring that there is no finning going on."

“We also recognise that it is something that will help us in assessing the health of the fishery because it will allow us to better identify the sharks that are being landed and quantify the volumes of those sharks."

"That I think is for us the major issue that still needs to be resolved.”

The proposal further reads that C.C.M.s shall take measures necessary to prohibit their fishing vessels from retaining on board, transshipping, landing, or trading any fins harvested in contravention of this Conservation and Management Measure (C.M.M.).

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