2011 Management Resolutions

Resolution Regarding the EU Ban on Shark Finning
American Elasmobranch Society
July 2011
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Whereas several European Union (EU) Member States contribute significantly to global trade in shark fins and support vessels that fish all over the world;

Whereas “finning” (slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea) is an exceptionally wasteful practice which has been banned by many countries and by most international fisheries bodies;

Whereas the effectiveness of the EU shark finning ban is undermined by the associated regulation that allows fishermen to land shark fins and carcasses separately in different ports and grants the highest fin-to-carcass weight ratio in the world (5% of whole weight);

Whereas requiring that sharks be landed with their fins still naturally attached is widely recommended by shark scientists and the International Union for Conservation of Nature as by far the most reliable method for enforcing shark finning bans;

Whereas prohibiting at-sea removal of shark fins can also facilitate the collection of species-specific data on shark catches which is needed for stock assessment;

Whereas “fins attached” policies are being effectively implemented in most U.S. shark fisheries;

Whereas the European Parliament adopted a 2010 Resolution calling on the European Commission to deliver a proposal to prohibit the removal of shark fins on-board vessels by the second anniversary of the European Community Plan of Action for Sharks (February 2011);

Whereas the European Commission pledged in 2009 to strengthen the EU finning regulation and is expected to soon release a legislative proposal to do so for consideration by EU Member States and the European Parliament;

Therefore be it resolved that the American Elasmobranch Society urges the European Commission to propose, without further delay or exception, an EU-wide prohibition on the removal of shark fins at sea.

Resolution Regarding Northwest Atlantic Hammerhead Sharks
American Elasmobranch Society
July 2011
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Whereas there are no species-specific catch limits for Northwest Atlantic scalloped, great, or smooth hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini, S. mokarran, S. zygaena) under the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP);

Whereas an independent population assessment for S. lewini demonstrated an 83% decline since 1981 and 2005 levels that were less than half of those associated with sustainable, long-term fishing (Hayes et al. 2009);

Whereas NMFS announced in April that this assessment is a complete and appropriate basis for management action, and that the agency intends to amend the HMS FMP so as to prevent overfishing and rebuild the hammerhead population, as required by law;

Whereas the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies scalloped and great hammerhead sharks as Endangered and smooth hammerheads as Vulnerable on a global scale;

Whereas hammerheads’ relatively high at-vessel mortality means that measures to prevent capture and reduce discard mortality are needed in addition to catch limits;

Whereas the U.S. unsuccessfully proposed these hammerhead species for listing under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in March 2010;

Whereas species-specific conservation measures for hammerhead sharks off the U.S. are urgently warranted and may improve the chances for success should the U.S. decide to propose hammerhead protections at the next CITES meeting;

Therefore be it resolved that the American Elasmobranch Society urges the National Marine Fisheries Service to promptly propose science-based, species-specific catch limits and fishing modifications to minimize mortality of scalloped, great, and smooth hammerhead sharks.

Resolution Regarding US Positions at ICCAT
American Elasmobranch Society
July 2011
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Whereas the United States is a Party to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and ICCAT has adopted binding shark fishing measures since 2004;

Whereas ICES and Canadian scientists have reported serious declines in North Atlantic porbeagle (Lamna nasus) biomass, ICES scientists have recommended a ban on landing Northeast Atlantic porbeagles, and Canadian scientists have estimated the recovery time for Northwest Atlantic porbeagles at up to 100 years;

Whereas ICCAT scientists have concluded that North Atlantic shortfin mako sharks (Isurus oxyrhinchus) are likely overfished and a reduction in fishing mortality on this population is necessary to improve this status;

Whereas ICCAT Parties in 2007 adopted a binding recommendation to reduce fishing mortality on North Atlantic shortfin mako and porbeagle sharks which exempts countries with peer-reviewed stock assessments (not science based management measures) and fails to mandate specific fishing limits;

Whereas U.S. fishermen fishing in Atlantic federal waters are currently prohibited from removing shark fins at sea;

Whereas the U.S. has yet to fully succeed in efforts within ICCAT to end at-sea shark fin removal and promote adequate shortfin mako shark data collection and fishing mortality reduction;

Whereas the European Union (EU) in 2010 unsuccessfully proposed an ICCAT prohibition on retention of porbeagle sharks;

Therefore be it resolved that the American Elasmobranch Society urges the National Marine Fisheries Service to propose (or co-propose) in 2011 ICCAT bans on at-sea removal of shark fins and retention of porbeagle sharks that are binding on all Parties, and to work within the ICCAT Compliance Committee to stress the importance of Parties fulfilling obligations to report catch data and reduce fishing mortality with respect to shortfin mako sharks.

Resolution Regarding Thorny Skates
American Elasmobranch Society
July 2011
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Whereas the Northwest Atlantic population of thorny skate (Amblyraja radiata) is a straddling stock classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Vulnerable off the east coast of Canada and Critically Endangered off New England;

Whereas the thorny skate is a prohibited species in the U.S. under the New England Fishery Management Council Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Skates;

Whereas thorny skate biomass has declined since the species was protected in the U.S. in 2003;

Whereas the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) has no immediate, concrete plans to amend its Skate FMP to ensure thorny skate recovery and is requesting from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) an emergency increase in skate quotas regardless of associated bycatch of thorny skates;

Whereas the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) has adopted an international total allowable catch (TAC) limit for the region’s skate fishery (which takes primarily thorny skates), but allows twice as much catch as advised by the NAFO Scientific Council;

Whereas the United States is a Party to NAFO;

Whereas Parties to NAFO pledged in 2010 to amend NAFO skate limits based on scientific advice for thorny skates at their 2011 annual meeting;

Therefore be it resolved that the American Elasmobranch Society urges the NMFS to reject NEFMC request for emergency action to raise skate quotas, to lead the NEFMC in addressing obligations for timely rebuilding of the thorny skate population, and to propose at the 2011 NAFO annual meeting a skate TAC based on the NAFO scientific advice for thorny skates.