Eight species of sharks will be added to the conservation annex after the third annual Meeting of the Signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks in Monaco.
“Sharks symbolize our lack of understanding of the underwater world, which feeds on fear of the unknown. More than any other marine animal, they maintain a nefarious reputation, inspiring fear in many among those who know them the least and the fascination of the divers who come into contact them,” Robert Calcagno, Director of the Museum for Oceanography in Monaco, said. “They also symbolize the hunger that can take hold of humans and be quickly devastating, as is the case of those large animals that dominated the oceans for millions of years before being decimated by a sudden craze for soup.”
Among those sharks that will benefit from greater international cooperation in enhancing conservation include: dusky, smooth hammerhead, oceanic whitetip, common and giant guitarfish and three variety of wedgefish.
“(Sharks) are symbolic representatives of alpha predators, the top of the ocean’s food chain, these regulators so important to the global balance of biodiversity,” Calgano said. “Sharks embody these great migrants, these tireless travellers of the seas that know no borders. They enjoy the freedom of the seas, it seems, and yet it is the absence of rules that has caused their downfall.”
Representatives of 34 governments plus the European Union attended the meeting along with several leading NGOs dealing with marine conservation and international organizations including the food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
One glaring omission from the additions, however, is the blue shark – the most heavily fished shark in the world.
Australia, New Zealand, the U.S. and South Africa rejected blue sharks for listing because data suggesting major declines was not enough. Proponents for the species argue that the rejection will cause long-term damage. It is estimated that over 20 million blue sharks are harvested each year.
“It will now be three years until the blue shark can be proposed again for listing under this international agreement. In that time, another 30 to 60 million blue sharks will be caught and killed without the international cooperation and attention that this species sorely needs. It is deeply disappointing that Australia, which used to be a champion for shark protection, spoke out against the listing,” said Nicola Beynon, Head of Campaigns at Humane Society International.
The MOUCMS is the first global instrument for the conservation of migratory species of sharks. Shark numbers have fallen dramatically in recent years, primarily because of overfishing and bycatch, while prey depletion is also affecting their conservation status, with many species now categorized as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List — including angel sharks, which was proposed by the host of the meeting, the Principality of Monaco. Scientists estimate that one quarter of sharks and ray species worldwide are threatened with extinction.