Action as shark numbers fall |17 August 2006

This has reached an extent where methods to catch them have become more sophisticated, yet yields are lower.

The sizes of those present have also been declining, justifying the drafting of a National Plan of Action for sharks.

Environment consultant, John Neville, said this recently when he presented the final draft of the plan to stakeholders during a workshop held at the new Seychelles Fishing Authority’s (SFA) conference room.

“Original stocks were high in the 1950s but in the 1980s and 1990s, the demand for shark fins rose,” Mr Neville said.

He said that many sharks were also caught in the 1990s as by-catch by fishermen who were looking for swordfish.

There was a further marked decline of sharks in Seychelles waters when the European Union (EU) banned the importation of swordfish from Seychelles, as a result of which those who were previously involved in fishing for swordfish turned to shark hunting.

When opening the session last Friday, the managing director of SFA, Rondolph Payet, said that the draft action plan is now ready and will be presented to government for ratification and action.

He said that during formulation of the draft, the concerns of various players involved in fisheries, entertainment or tourism have been taken care of.

In Seychelles, shark fishing has always been a traditional activity. There has, however, been significant development in this activity in recent years due to the increasing demand for shark products, mainly fins, on the international market, especially in Asia.

Concerned by the decline of many shark populations all around the world, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), in 1999, prompted all countries concerned to develop  plans of action for the conservation and management of shark populations.

Seychelles has now joined the network of countries developing such plans to ensure the sustainability and conservation of the resource.

Sharks have an important role in marine ecosystems, as a fishery resource as well as a dive tourism attraction. Stakeholders with an interest in fishing, utilisation or conservation of sharks were invited to two preliminary workshops held in July and early August to partake in the development of the country’s plan that has sought to find a balance between conservation and utilisation of sharks.

The plan will subsequently be presented to government next month and implementation is expected in 2007. It will have an initial four-year duration with a review in the fourth year. This is to make provision for any revision deemed necessary to enable the implementation of adaptive measures to the management of the resource.

Seychelles has already taken certain measures to ensure the conservation and management of sharks and their long-term sustainable use. For example, the authorities introduced a ban on the use of gill nets to fish sharks back in 1998 and enacted the Wild Animals (Whale shark) Protection Regulation in 2003. A ban on shark finning on all foreign-owned fishing vessels licensed to operate in the Seychelles EEZ came into force earlier this year – the EU has since 2003 imposed a similar ban on all of its vessels.