Fisheries Newsletter No 145 (September-December 2014)

Editorial

Three articles in this issue are related to sharks. Not surprising as the critical status of many coastal and oceanic shark populations definitely calls for attention... and action.

First, Shelton Harley (p. 4) reports about a recent SPC study showing that some tuna longline boats operating in the equatorial Pacific Ocean were specifically targeting sharks by adding shark lines to their fishing gear. The results of the study helped reinforce the call for a ban of this technique, which was partly adopted at the December meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.

Second, Éric Clua and Serge Planes (p. 19) summarise the discussions of a five-day workshop dedicated to find ways “to reinforce the partnership between sharks and humans”. According to the authors, if the workshop conclusions had to be summarised in only one statement, it would be “A sole priority: Take action”.

Third, Shelley Clarke (p. 49) uses four common suppositions about the relationship between shark fishing and the shark trade to explore several ways that shark catch and trade data could be used in combination to better conserve shark populations. She concludes by observing that while humankind’s constantly increasing appetite for sharks poses a great threat to their populations, “it also represents a powerful opportunity to strengthen fisheries management by using trade statistics as a new tool for conservation”.

Aymeric Desurmont
Fisheries Information Specialist