Sharks have roamed our oceans since before the time of dinosaurs, but their long reign at the top of the ocean food chain may be ending. Overfishing has decimated shark populations around the globe and numerous studies have documented huge declines. Some shark populations along the eastern U.S. coast, such as scalloped hammerheads and dusky sharks, have plummeted by as much as 80 percent since the 1970s.
One of the biggest impacts on shark populations is the practice of shark-finning – catching a shark, slicing off its fins and then discarding the body at sea. Up to 73 million sharks are killed for their fins, valued for the Asian delicacy “shark fin soup.” Several species of sharks, such as the porbeagle and spiny dogfish, are also fished for their meat – a staple of the fish-and-chips dish served in Europe.
Protecting Sharks in the United States
Pew is calling for passage of the U.S. Shark Conservation Act of 2009 (S.850/H.R.81), which would completely prohibit the removal of shark fins at sea, close loopholes in the current finning law and promote shark conservation in other countries. H.R. 81, introduced by Representative Madeline Bordallo (Guam), passed the House of Representatives unanimously in March 2009. Senator John Kerry (D-MA) introduced the Senate version in April 2009.
Protecting Sharks on the High Seas
Sharks caught in high-seas fisheries are among the ocean’s most vulnerable animals. Their low reproductive rates make them particularly susceptible to overfishing in the face of increased demand for shark products. More than half of the shark species taken in high-seas fisheries are classified as Endangered, Vulnerable or Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
A team from the Pew Environment Group will travel to Doha, Qatar in March 2010, seeking protections for sharks under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) treaty. The CITES treaty has 175 countries that are members, and regulates international trade in threatened and endangered species of animals and plants, and in species that may become threatened, by listing those species on one of three appendices.
Three hammerhead sharks, oceanic whitetips, spiny dogfish, porbeagles, sandbar and dusky sharks have been proposed for a CITES Appendix II listing, which would closely monitor and control international trade. In addition to seeking protections for sharks, Pew Environment Group will also advocate for the protection of Atlantic bluefin tuna. A proposed Appendix I listing would prohibit international trade in the species.
Learn more about CITES and follow the Pew Environment Group’s progress in Doha.
Pew has also initiated the Shark Alliance, a coalition of non-governmental organizations dedicated to restoring and conserving shark populations around the world. The coalition includes 76 conservation, scientific and recreational organizations representing all regions of the world. See www.sharkalliance.org for more information.
Oct 27, 2008 - Dr. Colin Simpfendorfer and the Lenfest Ocean Program convened an international expert working group to estimate the risk of overfishing for twelve pelagic, or open ocean, shark and ray species caught in Atlantic pelagic longline fisheries under the jurisdiction of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.
Read: Summary View: Full Report (Adobe PDF)
Jun 11, 2008 - Study suggests the Mediterranean Sea may be losing large predatory sharks.
May 22, 2008 - Fishing spans all oceans and the impact on ocean predators such as sharks and rays is largely unknown. A lack of data and complicated jurisdictional issues present particular challenges for assessing and conserving high seas biodiversity.
Apr 01, 2008 - Recent studies document unprecedented declines in marine top predators that can initiate trophic cascades.
May 20, 2007 - Sharks are at the top of the marine food pyramid. Were they to disappear, the havoc to ocean ecosystems would be catastrophic. Article by Colin Woodard about the shark finning debate.
Read More
Stay updated with Pew News Now! We invite you to sign up to receive our weekly e-mail newsletter.
