15 Dec
2006 - Brussels, Belgium – Populations of two
shark species used for meat and consumed mainly
in the European Union are on the verge of collapse,
says WWF and TRAFFIC.
The international trade of porbeagle
and spiny dogfish sharks is not controlled, and
as a result, populations have dramatically declined
in the North Atlantic — by up to 95 per cent for
the spiny dogfish and 89 per cent for the porbeagle,
in the last ten and 40 years respectively.
The porbeagle shark is principally
used for fresh, frozen and dried-salted meat across
Europe. Spiny dogfish is used in fish and chips
in the UK, where it is often called “Rock Salmon”,
and as a smoked meat delicacy in Germany, called
“Schillerlocken".
“Current levels of fishing for
these sharks, especially the capture of mature,
female sharks, just can’t continue,” says Stephanie
von Meibom of TRAFFIC Europe.
“European market demand has
been driving these fisheries to depletion. As
its biggest market, the EU should lead the way
by supporting their protection under international
environmental law.”
Germany has been championing
the conservation of these sharks, proposing that
the two species be listed under CITES (Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora), which requires that international
trade is legal, and not detrimental to the species’
survival in the wild or their role in the ecosystem.
While a final decision to introduce
controls for these shark species under CITES can
only be taken by the convention's member states
at its next meeting in June 2007 in the Netherlands,
Germany is looking to get EU support for the proposal
at next week's EU committee meeting on Trade in
Wild Fauna and Flora.
A similar proposal failed to
gain EU support in 2004.
“If the EU discards this opportunity,
it may be the end of the road for these two shark
species and in turn, the end for some favourite
seafood dishes for Europe’s consumers,” says Cliona
O’Brien of WWF’s Global Species Programme.
END NOTES:
• Porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus)
is a powerful, medium sized, highly migratory
shark related to mako and great white sharks.
It can reach a length of about 3.5m and is found
in cool waters in both hemispheres, including
off shore northern Europe. Its meat is among the
most valuable of all shark species.
• Spurdog or spiny dogfish (Squalus
acanthias) is a slender, smaller sized white-spotted
shark that grows to about one meter long and travels
in schools. It is found in cool, coastal waters
worldwide.
• Europe also includes some
of the most important shark fishing nations in
the world. Between 11000 and 2003, the global
reported catch of sharks increased by 22 per cent.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) data, European Union (EU) countries
caught nearly 115,000 metric tons (t) of shark
(including rays and chimaeras) in 2004. Spain
took the largest share at around 45 per cent of
the EU total, followed by France (18 per cent),
the UK (14 per cent) and Portugal (10.5 per cent).
Joanna Benn, Communications Manager
Claudia Delpero,Communications Manager
Stephanie von Meibom, Acting Director
