26 Jul
2006 - Taipei, Taiwan – By implementing the world’s
first whale shark harvest and monitoring system,
Taiwan will halve its whale shark harvest quota
from 60 to 30 individuals by 2008.
Although listed under Appendix
II of the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),
a status which strictly regulates the trade of
the species based on quotas and permits to prevent
their unsustainable use, whale sharks continue
to be harvested for a variety of products, including
their meat, liver oil and fins.
“Taiwan’s announcement is an
important step towards a long-term management
of the fishery,” said Joyce Wu of TRAFFIC, the
wildlife trade monitoring network, a joint programme
of WWF and IUCN-the World Conservation Union.
“This, however, may not be enough
to ensure a sustainable future for the species,
especially while unreported catch may continue
to be entering domestic markets through unofficial
channels.”
According to Taiwan’s customs
statistics, no imports of whale shark have taken
place in the past five years. However, during
TRAFFIC’s research on the management of trade
of whale sharks in Taiwan in 2001, some retailers
claimed Indonesia and Hainan Island, China to
be source areas for some of the whale shark meat
on sale in Taiwan.
Taiwan has been identified as
possibly the world’s largest market for whale
shark meat. According to TRAFFIC, 32.5 metric
tonnes of meat reportedly obtained from legal
harvests in 2004 corresponds poorly with the 68.5
metric tonnes of meat reported as sold the same
year in just two of the major wholesale fishery
markets in Taipei and Taichung.
“There is an underlying concern
for the illegal whale shark trade in Taiwan,”
added Wu. “Such a marked discrepancy between domestic
catch data and the volume of whale shark meat
on domestic markets indicates a considerable volume
of imports of fish caught elsewhere, or substantial
under-reporting of the catch.”
In efforts to combat the illegal
trade, TRAFFIC is calling on the Taiwanese government
to improve regulation and enforcement efforts
related to the whale shark trade in Taiwan.
“Extra vigilance is now necessary
as a change in harvesting quotas can potentially
increase the pressure on illegal imports,” said
Wu.
“It is crucial to closely monitor
the markets and continuously assess the trade
trends. A transparent auction and shipping system
would assist further in efforts to stop illegal
activities and in ensuring a sustainable future
for this giant of the sea.”
END NOTES:
• The whale shark (Rhincodon
typus) is the world’s largest living fish, measuring
up to 14m and weighing in at 125 tons. Despite
its name and enormous size, the whale shark is
not a whale, but classified in a family of its
own — Rhincodontidae — with its closest relatives
being leopard sharks and nurse sharks.
• Countries such as Belize,
India, Maldives, the Philippines, Seychelles and
Thailand have prohibited whale shark harvesting.
• Harvest regulations for whale
shark were established in Taiwan in 2002, with
an initial quota of 80 fish, decreased to 60 in
2006. Violation of the harvest regulation is punishable
with fines of up to TWD150,000 (US$4,600) or imprisonment
for up to three years. Failure to report on harvest
is punishable with fines of TWD15,000–75,000 (US$460–2,300).
Joyce Wu, TRAFFIC East Asia
/ Maija Sirola, TRAFFIC International
