a general evaluation of the shark fishery globally, with a closer look at the sub-industry in...

"A general evaluation of the

shark fishery globally, with a

closer look at the sub-industry

in Trinidad & Tobago."

Christopher C. Kalloo

Post Graduate Seminar

(COOS 6005)

Aim

• To focus on the commercial importance of shark

fisheries globally.

• To observe stock assessments and current population

trends.

• Identify threats to the industry.

• Not much focus will be placed on the ecological

importance of sharks and their conservation.

• Special focus on the shark fishery of Trinidad & Tobago.

Introduction• Chondrichthyes are cartilaginous fish with

> 1,100 species.

• They include:

Sharks Batoids Chimaeras

Grey Reef shark

(Carcharhinus

amblyrhynchos)

Spotted eagle ray

(Aetobatus narinari)

Spotted ratfish

(Hydrolagus colliei)

Introduction• Sharks belong to the subclass known as Elasmobranchii that also

include rays, skates and sawfish. There are 8 orders of sharks, that

contain 475 different species (IUCN, 2015).

Chondrichthye Family

Tree

Introduction

Most sharks have a K-selected life history

strategy.

Sharks have:

1. Slow growth rates

2. A late age of maturity

3. Low fecundity rates

Shark Products Sharks are important to global fisheries because of

the several by-products derived from them.

Shark fins

Shark fin soupShark meat

Bake & Shark

Shark Cartilage pills Shark leatherShark liver oil pills

Shark Fishing History

• The early history of shark consumption, was mainly

limited to localized areas.

• Refrigeration stopped spoilage, resulting in longer

storage periods.

• Shark catches have been able to rise across the world.

Basking Shark

Hammerhead (1950’s)

Global Catch Production

• Difficult to obtain nominal catches of sharks and

their relatives by species due to poor record

keeping.

• Many countries do not report catches to the

species level.

• Simply group them as ‘sharks, rays, skates, etc.’

• Developing countries especially have poor

record keeping and monitoring of local fisheries.

• Also in many instances, catches are not

reported.


• Underreporting of chondrichthyan by-catch and artisanal

landings, may mean that the actual global landings could

be double the reported annual figures. (Barker &

Schluessel, 2005; Fowler, 2005).

• For a fifty year period (1950-2000) reported landings

increased by three times as much.

• Went from 271, 800 tonnes in 1950 to 828, 364 tonnes

in 2000 (Barker & Schluessel, 2005).


• Current trends from 2000 to 2013 have shown though, a

decline in the annual reported global capture production

of sharks, rays & chimeras.

• Total tonnage caught in 2013 was 772,874.

• Asia has been the leading region where the most

recorded catches have been reported (5,326,992 tonnes

from 2000-2013) (Food and Agriculture Organization of

the United Nations, 2012).


Source: (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2012)

Global Catch Production • A major driving force for the increase in shark capture

figures is the shark fin trade.

• Shark fins are the most valuable shark product by far.

• Hong Kong has been the primary driver in the shark fin

trade.

• The total quantity of unprocessed imported fins declared

in the country in 2000 was 9,779t. (Fowler, 2005; Musick

& Musick, 2011).

Discarded Hammerhead after being finned

Types of Fisheries

Shark fisheries globally can be categorized

into four major types (Musick & Musick,

2011):

1. High seas pelagic

2. Coastal Cold-temperate

3. Coastal Tropical

4. Deep Sea

Types of Fisheries

• Shark catches tend to be either targeted (direct

exploitation) or by-catch (indirect exploitation) (Fowler,

2005)

• With targeted fisheries, there tends to be ‘boom and

bust’ cycles e.g. the North Atlantic Porbeagle (Lamna

nasus) fishery in the 1960’s

• Stock assessments identified that the shark species

most vulnerable to direct fishing pressures are already

being overfished

Types of Fisheries

• Indirect exploitation is estimated to be responsible for

almost 50% of the reported commercial catches of

sharks.

• High seas longline and driftnet fleets that target tuna and

billfish are key sources of bycatch for pelagic shark

species.

• Include the Blue shark (Prionace glauca), Oceanic

whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) and Silky

shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) (Fowler, 2005).

Some of the Most Caught

Species Globally

Threats to Shark Fisheries

• Overexploitation of stocks.

• Few nations have regulated catch quotas and selective

fishing apparatus

• Species-specific catch data is severely lacking

• Species catch data that has been combined into higher

classification groups (orders and families) can easily

conceal declines of individual species within the group

(Musick & Musick, 2011).


• Increasing demand in the Asian market, has resulted in

several unregulated, sometimes illegal fisheries

maximizing catch outputs.

• Environmental issues also play a part in adding pressure.

• The life history strategies make them generally unable to

adapt to changing environmental conditions.


• Severe decline in population numbers for nearly the

entire 26 shark species that catch data is available for.

• IUCN Shark specialist group in 2010 assessed that 23%

of Chondrichthyes were Vulnerable, 9% Endangered,

5 % Critically Endangered and almost 50% not having

enough data to be assessed (Data Deficient) (Musick &

Musick, 2011).

Angel shark (Squalus squatina)

Management Strategies

Several international and regional fisheries management

plans and agreements between nations for the wise use of

shark species as fishery commodities exists. Examples are:

1. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

2. UN Fish Stocks Agreement

3. FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

4. International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management

of Sharks (IPOA-Sharks)

5. Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC)

Management StrategiesProblem with the effectiveness include:

• compliance is voluntary for member states in some cases

• Enforcement of the regulations can sometimes be difficult due to

factors such as cost and vast geographic regions.

Another major factor hampering these agreements:

1. Lack of institutional capacity to coordinate fisheries management

2. Lack of funding for research and enforcement

3. Some countries focus economic priority instead on alleviating

poverty

Trinidad & Tobago Shark Fishery

• Trinidad & Tobago is one of the few Caribbean islands

where several shark species are extensively exploited.

• Lack substantial information about the shark resources

• However Shark data for catch and effort has been

collected in the country since 1962.

• Some studies done to collect biological data on sharks

during the 1980’s (1985-1986; 1987-1989) with some

sporadic follow-up activity from 1999-2000

Development of Shark

Fishery• Shark fisheries were first developed in the Caribbean

region during World War II in response to the U.S based

demand for shark liver oil (as a source of Vitamin A)

• In 1949, expedition by Stewart Springer was done to

evaluate the potential of a shark fishery in Trinidad.

• He explored the Gulf of Paria, as well as the East, North

and South coasts of Trinidad (Tobago not included)

• Observed 18 different species during the voyage. Added

6 more as being observed after. 24 Species in total.

Development of Shark

Fishery• From 1983 to 1986 the Government of Trinidad

& Tobago, initiated a drive to boost shark

fisheries amongst artisanal fishermen in the

country

• The project at the time did bolster production in

shark catches locally

• However, competition from other more lucrative

fishery markets resulted in fishermen moving

away from targeting sharks primarily.

Description of Fishery

• Both artisanal and industrial fishing activity

responsible for shark catches on the island.

• The offshore fleet was responsible for catching

mostly large pelagic species.

Description of Fishery

• Most sharks caught by artisanal fishers

mainly from by-catch done by gillnet

activity

• Indirect exploitation also from:

1. Beach seining

2. Trolling live bait (a la vive) and banking

3. Demersal longline or palanguing,

4. Semi-industrial pelagic longline fishery

Trinidad & Tobago Catch

Production • For T&T shark catch production average 800 tonnes

between 1962 and 2002,

• Landings peaked in the late 1970’s then dramatically

decreasing in the mid-1990’s.

• Catch production again rose in the early 2000’s, with

record levels of shark, rays and chimaera landings for a

year being reached in 2004 at 1354 tonnes (Food and

Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2012)


Production • However, current trends show a rapid decline in reported

shark, rays and chimaera landings with the latest figure

for 2013 being 534 tonnes.

Why?

Possible reasons could include:

– Decline in shark stocks

– Underreporting of catches

– Improved methods in fishing, reducing by-

catch

– Drop in demand


Production

Catch production data for 2013

Threats to Trinidad & Tobago

Shark Fishery

• Drastic decline in reported landings. There is a need for

further research in shark studies in the country.

• Research is lacking locally for all facets of shark

sciences including biology, ecology and fisheries.

• Globally, according to the IUCN Red list, several species

found in local waters are at different states of being

threatened. Population trends locally are unknown.

Species found in Trinidad &

TobagoCommon Name

(Scientific Name)

IUCN

Evaluation

Population

Trends

Scalloped

Hammerhead

(Sphyrna lewini )

Common Name

(Scientific Name)

IUCN

Evaluation

Population

Trends

Smalleye

Hammerhead

(Sphyrna tudes)


TobagoCommon Name

(Scientific Name)

IUCN

Evaluation

Population

Trends

Smalltail Shark

(Carcharhinus

porosus)

Common Name

(Scientific Name)

IUCN

Evaluation

Population

Trends

Blacktip Shark

(Carcharhinus

limbatus)


TobagoCommon Name

(Scientific Name)

IUCN

Evaluation

Population

Trends

Brazilian

Sharpnose

(Rhizoprionodon

lalandii)

Common Name

(Scientific Name)

IUCN

Evaluation

Population

Trends

Caribbean

Sharpnose

(Rhizoprionodon

porosus)


TobagoCommon Name

(Scientific Name)

IUCN

Evaluation

Population

Trends

Blacknose Shark

(Carcharhinus

acronotus)

Common Name

(Scientific Name)

IUCN

Evaluation

Population

Trends

Sandbar Shark

(Carcharhinus

plumbeus)


TobagoCommon Name

(Scientific Name)

IUCN

Evaluation

Population

Trends

Tiger Shark

(Galeocerdo cuvier)

Common Name

(Scientific Name)

IUCN

Evaluation

Population

Trends

Daggernose Shark

(Isogomphodon

oxyrhynchus)

Reference of Pictures and

Videos used• A Very Curious Tope Shark. (2012, August 22). Tope shark [video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoEDHgX72AI&list=PL3crlNLRe0K9S2kknUe_fU3k1ohFbaX7

G&index=6

• Blacknose Shark - Shark Research Institute. (2013, April 21). Blacknose shark [photograph]

Retrieved from http://www.sharks.org/species/blacknose-shark

• Blacktip shark [photograph]. Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacktip_shark#/media/File:Carcharhinus_limbatus_csiro-nfc.jpg

• Blue Shark Encounter in Maltese Waters. (2015, August 13). Blue shark [video file]. Retrieved

from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X7ja9BpPVI&list=PL3crlNLRe0K9S2kknUe_fU3k1ohFbaX7G

&index=1

• Brazilian Sharpnose Shark [photograph]. Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_sharpnose_shark

• Caribbean Sharpnose shark [photograph]. Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean_sharpnose_shark

• EU to ban fish imports from Sri Lanka for illegal fishing. (n.d.) Dead shark [photograph]. Retrieved

from http://www.wwf.eu/?237530/EU-to-ban-fish-imports-from-Sri-Lanka-for-illegal-fishing

• Fried Shark For Bake And Shark. | CaribbeanPot.com. (n.d.) Bake and Shark [photograph].

Retrieved from http://caribbeanpot.com/fried-shark-for-bake-and-shark/


Videos used• GEERG - Spiny dogfish at Quadra Island, British Columbia. (2010, February 17). Piked dogfish

[video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wQ8WzMfUn4&list=PL3crlNLRe0K9S2kknUe_fU3k1ohFbaX

7G&index=2

• Genuine Black Shark Skin Leather Bifold Wallet WILD HEARTS Leather&Silver (Item ID sw2269).

(n.d.) Shark Leather Wallet [photograph]. Retrieved from http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/auc-

wildhearts/item/sw2269/

• Grey Reef Shark [photograph]. Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark#/media/File:Tiburón.jpg

• Hammerhead shark | fish. (n.d.) Scalloped Hammerhead shark [photograph]. Retrieved from

http://www.britannica.com/animal/hammerhead-shark

• Help New York City Ban Shark Fin Soup. (n.d.) Shark fin soup [photograph]. Retrieved from

http://forcechange.com/22281/help-new-york-city-ban-shark-fin-soup/

• Hong Kong Shark Fin Traders Take to the Rooftops | Mission Blue. (n.d.) Shark fins [photograph].

Retrieved from http://mission-blue.org/2013/01/hong-kong-shark-fin-traders-take-to-the-rooftops/

• International Land Based Shark Fishing Association - Leading the Way in Shark Release Fishing

Best Practices and World Records Since 2006 - Sport History. (n.d.) Hammerhead shark from

1950’s [photograph]. Retrieved from http://landbasedsharkfishing.com/sport-history/

• Isogomphodon oxyrhynchus. (n.d.) Daggernose shark [photograph]. Retrieved from http://shark-

references.com/species/view/Isogomphodon-oxyrhynchus


Videos used• Monterey's Old Fisherman's Wharf Association Continues. (n.d.) Basking Shark [photograph].

Retrieved from http://brickmanblog.typepad.com/brickman_blog/2014/07/montereys-old-

fishermans-wharf-association-continues-wharf-walks-at-montereys-old-fishermans-wharf-o.html

• Now Foods, Shark Cartilage, 750 mg, 100 Capsules. (n.d.) Shark cartilage pills [photograph].

Retrieved from http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Shark-Cartilage-750-mg-100-Capsules/23502

• Raw shark meat. (n.d.) Shark meat [photograph]. Retrieved from

http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photography-raw-shark-meat-image5598257

• Shark Ecomorphotypes. (n.d.) Tiger shark [photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.elasmo-

research.org/education/topics/de_ecomorphotypes.htm

• Shark Foundation Projects: Shark nurseries. (n.d.) Angel Shark [photograph]. Retrieved from

http://shark.ch/Projects/Nurseries/index.html

• Shark Identification Guide. (2014, June 17). Sandbar shark [photograph]. Retrieved from

http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/sharks/hawaii-sharks/shark-identification-guide/

• Shark Liver Oil Pills [photograph]. Retrieved from

https://www.healthstoreipswich.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=835

• Shark Species - the taxonomy of sharks and rays. (n.d.) Chondrichthye classification

[photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.elasmodiver.com/elasmobranch_taxonomy.htm

• Sharks don't cry - Stop finning! a campaign by www.sharkproject.org. (2011, January 18). Shark

finning [video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaZjmT8mHbU&list=PL3crlNLRe0K9S2kknUe_fU3k1ohFbaX

7G&index=8


Videos used• Silky Shark Dive Florida Keys. (2014, January 7). Silky shark [video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXDQ8OtSmYU&list=PL3crlNLRe0K9S2kknUe_fU3k1ohFba

X7G&index=4

• Smalleye Hammerhead shark [photograph].Retrieved from

https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/documents/Sphyrna_tudes.pdf

• Spotted Eagle Ray [photograph]. Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batoidea#/media/File:Spotted_Eagle_Ray_(Aetobatus_narinari)2.jpg

• Spotted Rat fish [photograph]. Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocephali#/media/File:Hydrolagus_colliei.jpg

• The Fastest Shark in the Ocean | Top 10 Sharkdown - Shark Week 2013. (2013, August 2). Short

fin Mako shark [video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uaF8ERSs7Q&list=PL3crlNLRe0K9S2kknUe_fU3k1ohFbaX7

G&index=5

• UN body acts on destruction of sharks. (n.d.) Finned Hammerhead [photograph]. Retrieved from

http://wwf.panda.org/?208872/UN-body-acts-on-destruction-of-sharks

• Volume 17, Issue 1, 15 January 2011. (2011, January 14). Smalltail shark [photograph] Retrieved

from http://www.aqua-aquapress.com/es/volume-17-issue-1-15-january-2011-3/

Thank you

Questions?

a general evaluation of the shark fishery globally, with a closer look at the sub-industry in...

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