User:Lfstevens/Shark Sanctuary

Shark sanctuaries forbid commercial fishing operations from catching sharks. As of late 2009, the world's only shark sanctuary surrounds the small island nation of Palau.

Every year, fishermen pull some 100 million sharks from the world's oceans. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that more than half of shark species are overexploited or depleted. Globally, 21% of shark species whose extinction risk has been assessed fall into the "threatened" categories, and 18% are "near threatened", while 35% lack sufficient data to decide, leaving 26% in the unthreatened category.

The search for shark fins drives the illegal hunting trade. Some juridictions permit fishing for fins and food. Sharks are also caught as bycatch when fishing for marlin, tuna and other varieties.

Sharks generally reach sexual maturity only after several years of life and produce very few offspring in comparison to other harvested fish. Harvesting sharks before they reproduce has severe impacts on future populations.

Palau's sanctuary
Palau created the world’s first “shark sanctuary” on September 25, 2009. Palau forbids all commercial shark fishing within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters. The sanctuary protects about 600000 km2 of ocean, an area similar to the European country of France. President Johnson Toribiong made the announcement at a meeting of the United Nations. President Toribiong also requested a worldwide ban on shark fishing. Palau is home to 135 endangered or vulnerable shark and ray species. While Palau has only one patrol boat to catch violators in the act, many nations inspect boats when they land, providing an additional enforcement point.

At the same time, Palau banned deep sea bottom trawling, which can damage coral reefs and other bottom-dwelling marine life.

Europe
In February, 2009, the European Commission proposed first-ever shark conservation rules for European waters, although these are not outright bans. EU countries account for one-third of global shark meat exports.

Shark steaks are increasingly served in restaurants. Shark parts are also used in lotions and leather sports shoes.

Other nations
Some developed nations limit shark catches and restrict shark finning.

The Maldives has also taken measures to protect the creatures.

The U.S. bans shark finning on all U.S.-flagged vessels, forbids the taking 19 species of sharks including white, whale, and basking sharks and shares lists of illegal vessels with established fishing companies, helping them report illegal activities. The U.S. also assesses the health of many of its shark populations and includes sharks in its various Fishery Management Plans.

Kiribati, another Pacific island state, and the US operate Earth's largest marine reserve.

Shark fishery


After reaching about 0.9 million tonnes in 2003, catches of the “sharks, rays and chimaeras” group declined to 0.75 million tonnes in 2006, a drop of 15 percent. , numbering some 100 million fish. .

Drivers the of the shark trade
Sharks are a common seafood in many places around the world, including China (shark-fin soup), Japan, Australia (fish and chips under the name flake), in India (under the name sora in Tamil language and Telugu language), and Icelanders eat Greenland sharks as hákarl.

In finning, a fisherman removes the fin with a hot metal blade and releases the dying animal. Other fish typically consume the remains. Shark finning has become a major trade within black markets all over the world with shark fins going at about $300/lb in 2009.

European consumers consume dogfishes, smoothhounds, catsharks, makos, porbeagle and also skates and rays. However, the U.S. FDA recommends that that children and women who are or may be pregnant should refrain from eating shark. For details see mercury in fish.

Shark cartilage has been used to treat cancer and osteoarthritis.

Seafood Watch recommends that everyone avoid eating shark.

The majority of shark fisheries around the globe have little monitoring or management. With the rise in demand for shark products there is a greater pressure on fisheries. Sharks experience a long interval between birth and sexual maturity, such that many sharks never reach maturity. In some species, populations have declined by over 90% over the past 20–30 years with decline of 70% not unusual.

The practice of shark finning, attracts much controversy and regulations are being enacted to prevent it from occurring. The acclaimed 2007 documentary, Sharkwater exposed how sharks are being hunted to extinction, in part due to the massive Asian demand for shark fin soup.