Many species of open ocean shark are under serious threat, according to an assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).The Red list gives the status of 64 types of shark and ray, over 30% of which are threatened with extinction. The authors, IUCN's Shark Specialist Group, say a main cause is overfishing.
Listed as endangered are two species of hammerhead shark, often subject to "finning" - a practice of removing the fins and throwing away the body.
This is the first time that IUCN Red List criteria, considered the world's most comprehensive inventory of the conservation status of plants and animals, have been used to classify open ocean, or pelagic, sharks and rays. The list is part of an ongoing international scientific project to monitor the animals. The authors classified a further 24% of the examined species as Near Threatened.
Sharks are "profoundly vulnerable" to overfishing, they say. This is principally because many species take several years to mature and have relatively few young.
"[But] despite mounting threats, sharks remain virtually unprotected on the high seas," said Sonja Fordham, deputy chair of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group and one of the editors of the report.
"[We have] documented serious overfishing of these species, in national and international waters. This demonstrates a clear need for immediate action on a global scale."
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization recognised the potential threat to sharks over a decade ago, when it launched its "International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks" in 1999. But the "requested improvements... have been painfully slow and simply inadequate", according to this report by the IUCN.
Sharks are "profoundly vulnerable" to overfishing, they say. This is principally because many species take several years to mature and have relatively few young.
"[But] despite mounting threats, sharks remain virtually unprotected on the high seas," said Sonja Fordham, deputy chair of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group and one of the editors of the report.
"[We have] documented serious overfishing of these species, in national and international waters. This demonstrates a clear need for immediate action on a global scale."
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization recognised the potential threat to sharks over a decade ago, when it launched its "International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks" in 1999. But the "requested improvements... have been painfully slow and simply inadequate", according to this report by the IUCN.
Many pelagic sharks are caught in high seas tuna and swordfish fisheries.
Although some are accidentally caught in nets meant for these other fish, they are increasingly targeted for their meat, teeth and liver oil, and because of high demand, particularly in Asia, for their fins.
Although some are accidentally caught in nets meant for these other fish, they are increasingly targeted for their meat, teeth and liver oil, and because of high demand, particularly in Asia, for their fins.
Species listed as Vulnerable included the smooth hammerhead shark, the porbeagle shark and the common, bigeye and pelagic thresher sharks.
Fisheries have fought to keep their right to fish porbeagle sharks because their meat is so valuable, according to Ms Fordham.
"Yet we've already had recommendations from scientists that there should be no fishing of these sharks."
Fisheries have fought to keep their right to fish porbeagle sharks because their meat is so valuable, according to Ms Fordham.
"Yet we've already had recommendations from scientists that there should be no fishing of these sharks."
For certain species - that are considered particularly vulnerable - the authors have recommended their complete protection.
"The big-eyed thresher shark, for example, is very slow growing," explained Ms Fordham.
"Fishermen can very easily identify it, because it has a very big eye. So if they catch it accidentally, they can throw it back. "
"These sharks tend to survive well when they're thrown back."
By the end of this year, the Shark Specialist Group will publish a complete report, outlining the status of all 400 species of shark, and closely-related skates and rays.
"The big-eyed thresher shark, for example, is very slow growing," explained Ms Fordham.
"Fishermen can very easily identify it, because it has a very big eye. So if they catch it accidentally, they can throw it back. "
"These sharks tend to survive well when they're thrown back."
By the end of this year, the Shark Specialist Group will publish a complete report, outlining the status of all 400 species of shark, and closely-related skates and rays.
WAKE UP PEOPLE! VULNERABLE SPECIES OF ANIMALS ARE DISAPPEARING ON ALMOST A DAILY BASIS. WHEN WILL THE PENNY DROP, THAT WE ARE LITERALLY DESTROYING THE PLANET WE LIVE ON? DO YOU HAVE A BETTER PLACE TO GO TO WHEN ALL OUR WILDLIFE AND RESOURCES ARE GONE, HALF THE COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD ARE UNDER WATER AND THE SUN IS TURNING IT TO STEAM? NO? THEN, GET ON THE BAND WAGON AND HELP SLOW DOWN GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE.
How can anyone in their right mind can't see what's happening? It is about time we stop turning a blind eye to what is happening.
ReplyDeleteWake up people your cup is running over.
But hey,that's just me.