MIAMI.- The Sharks They have been the ocean's famous predators for more than 400 million years and have survived five mass extinctions. But they are now one of the most endangered groups of species in the world.
The global shark population continues to decline at an increasingly alarming rate despite protective laws to reduce finning and poorly regulated fishing, according to a study by an international team of researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The overall mortality of sharks as a result of fishing increased from 76 million to 80 million sharks per year between 2012 and 2019, i.e. by 4%, according to the analysis.
They analyzed mortality in 150 countries
The researchers examined shark mortality rates in 150 fishing and offshore countries from 2012 to 2019. They also conducted in-depth interviews with shark fishing experts to better contextualize current trends in finning and shark fishing practices.
They also analyzed shark catches during this period and assessed the impact of the regulations put in place to conserve them. The dataset tracked the fate of about 1.1 billion sharks caught by fisheries around the world.
The extinction
“Unsustainable shark fishing is a global problem of staggering proportions that could ultimately lead to the extinction of some of the oldest and most revered species on our planet,” says lead author Darcy Bradley, an adjunct faculty member at UC Santa Barbara and a scientist at the Nature Conservancy of California.
The results, published in the journal Science, show that more than 30% of the species caught in these fishing activities are endangered species. These activities account for 95% of the total fishing mortality of sharks caught and killed worldwide.
The scientists also found that the global mortality estimate in 2019 may have increased to 101 million sharks when accounting for sharks that were not identified by species.
As the results show, the increase was mainly due to coastal shark fishing, and these figures become more significant when one considers that not all shark species can be properly identified.
This is in contrast to regulated fisheries on the high seas, particularly in the Atlantic and Western Pacific, where shark mortality fell by about 7%, as they detail in the article.
Regulations were not enough
Bradley's team found that while measures to reduce fishing and shark finning have been encouraged, these regulations have not helped stem declines in shark populations. And the numbers show that current legislation is not enough to stop this indiscriminate hunting.
“Although reductions in mortality have been achieved in regulated fisheries on the high seas, particularly in the Atlantic and Western Pacific, these figures show that legislative progress has been insufficient to halt the steady increase in coastal shark fishing,” they add.
They said that while finning bans may have reduced this practice on the high seas, they may also have increased catches by encouraging the full use of sharks and creating additional markets for shark meat and other products, contributing to this indiscriminate hunting have.
The need to implement other protective measures
The experts stressed that the significant lack of protection for sharks is a warning to take immediate and strong action. Given this situation, they therefore expressed the need to take more effective measures, such as the creation of protected areas for sharks and the total ban on their fishing, in order to prioritize the conservation of these species and maintain the health of the oceans.
“In addition to combating illegal trade and regulating fisheries, it is crucial to recognize the importance of these animals as key controllers of the food chain in marine ecosystems. Without their balancing presence, we could face irreversible imbalances and degradation in our oceans,” the report emphasizes.
The authors recommend combining geographic conservation measures with fishing regulations to improve shark prospects. In particular, new guidelines should prevent the conservation of threatened and overfished species and help reduce shark bycatch.
“It is clear from our analysis that cracking down on shark finning is not enough,” said study co-author Echelle Burns, a data scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
“More targeted measures to combat shark mortality, such as banning fishing in certain areas or requiring fishermen to release endangered species they accidentally catch, should be implemented to protect more sharks,” he added.
They in turn emphasized the importance of accountability of fleets, fishing companies and administrative bodies to support the successful implementation of these measures.
“It is our responsibility to work hand in hand with science and experts to end alarming mortality rates and preserve the richness and biological balance of our oceans. Research and protection of sharks is essential to ensure the integrity of marine ecosystems and for future generations,” they specified.
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SPRING: With information from Science Magazine and EuropaPress