Mako my day
Conservationists have welcomed a decision by the Spanish government to protect the shortfin mako from overfishing . A new moratorium on the landing , sale , and trade of the fastswimming shark is being hailed as a significant step forward in its global protection Spain is responsible for the largest catch of shortfin mako in the world , taking approximately half of all North Atlantic landings . The ruling applies to Spain ’ s entire fishing fleet , in domestic waters or across the North Atlantic .
My Octopus nominee
The widely praised South African Documentary My Octopus Teacher has made the Oscars Shortlist for best Documentary Feature . The film – a favourite among the dive community during lockdown – is now up against 14 other projects being considered for nomination . To read more about the documentary , check out this issue ’ s column by Yo-Han Cha .
Oceanic sharks – it ’ s not too late
Warning bells are ringing ever louder for oceanic sharks . Nevertheless , there is still room for hope , says Shark Trust MD Paul Cox
A new report in the respected scientific journal Nature emerged at the start of this year that gives us a whole new set of grim statistics for the state of shark populations . Focussed on 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays , some of the best known and charismatic species , the conclusion of the report is clear : Populations of high seas shark have been pushed to the brink by unfettered overfishing . The media headlines were pretty stark : “ Extinction Seems imminent for Sharks and Rays ” surmised one . “ Will Sharks Survive ?” asked another . And the headline findings from the report suggest that they ’ re not over-egging the response . The global abundance of oceanic sharks has declined by 71 % in 50 years . The same period has seen an 18- fold increase in relative fishing pressure – a measure of the amount of exploitation relative to the number of fish left ). 75 % of these species now qualify as threatened with extinction under IUCN Red List criteria . If you ’ re looking for an update to the tired “ 100 million sharks …” statistic then , go ahead , take your pick ( please ). But I ’ m hard-wired to try to find positives and signs of hope . I honestly believe that it ’ s the only way to do the job that we do . And there is hope hidden in this report , even if it doesn ’ t announce its presence as strongly as the dire statistics of decline . For a start , and this is important , this is not a report on all sharks and rays .
This applies to 31 species that are under particular pressures due to the nature and intensity of high seas fishing . That ’ s not to downplay it . But if you see anyone saying , for example , “ 75 % of sharks are threatened with extinction ”, then you need to let your inner pedant come out to play . Secondly , there are solutions . And relatively easy ( when I say ‘ relatively ’, please know that word isn ’ t there to make up the numbers ). To quote the authors , who say it better than I can , “ It is possible to reverse shark population declines , even for slow-growing species , if precautionary , science-based management is implemented throughout the range of the species before depletion reaches a point of no return .” Is this false hope ? No . Because , thirdly , the report offers concrete examples of species that have started to recover where fishing restrictions have been put in place . ( Great ) White populations on both sides of the US have been recovering since retention was banned in the mid 1990s . And hammerhead populations in the North West Atlantic are rebuilding as a result of strictly enforced science-based catch limits . It can be done . It ’ s not too late for sharks . We need to be focussed and we need to be very clear about what ’ s needed . And that , we think , is to make sure that we always put science at the heart of shark conservation .
www . sharktrust . org
PHOTO : SIMON ROGERSON
Scalloped hammerheads in the Galapagos Islands
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