European Shark Week 2009
European Shark Week Q&A
1. Who is the Shark Alliance?
The Shark Alliance is a global, not-for-profit coalition of non-governmental organizations dedicated to restoring and conserving shark populations by improving shark conservation policies.
The Shark Alliance is focused on securing the following:
The Shark Alliance has declared one week in October as European Shark Week – a time for enthusiasts to express their fascination and concern for sharks, bring new voices to the debate about their conservation, and encourage policy makers to secure the future health of their populations.
3. Are there sharks in Europe?
European waters contain a diverse array of about 70 species of sharks, more than 50 species of skates and rays, and seven species of chimaeras. Sharks and rays are found from the cold North Sea to the warmest waters of the Mediterranean Sea, from estuaries to the deep ocean depths, and even in the Baltic and Black Seas.
4. Don’t sharks eat people?
Incidents of sharks biting humans are well-publicised but extremely rare.
Each year, more people are killed by dogs, deer, lightning or coconuts – and even vending machines – than by sharks!
5. Why should we care? Why are sharks important to the ocean?
As top predators, most sharks play critical roles in marine ecosystems. By feeding on the weak and wounded of prey populations, they help to keep the oceans in balance and prey populations healthy.
6. Why are you targeting Spain, when you should be focusing on China?
The facts speak for themselves:
For more than a decade, Spain has been one of the top five world powers with respect to the fishing and marketing of sharks. Spain’s fishing fleets operate across the globe, taking sharks as targeted and incidental catch. Approximately 50% of the EU catch of sharks is taken by Spain.
In addition, Spain is one of only four EU countries to issue special permits that allow fishermen to remove shark fins at sea through a derogation of the EU prohibition of shark "finning" (slicing off a shark's fins and discarding the body at sea). Although shark bodies must be retained under these special permits, the weak control parameters laid down in the derogation create loopholes and enforcement challenges that can enable the practice of finning to take place undetected. Spain has issued the largest number of these permits (164 in 2006), enough to allow nearly two-thirds of its longline fleet to derogate from the EU regulation that prohibits shark fin removal at sea.
TOP LINE MESSAGE: As a top shark fishing nation, Spain has a responsibility to evolve from an obstacle to a leader in shark conservation. The sustainability of Spanish shark fisheries depends on such stewardship.
7. Isn’t there already a European Union finning ban?
Yes, the EU has banned finning for all its vessels and prohibits generally all removal of fins from sharks on board vessels. However, a derogation to the ban allows the removal of fins from sharks under a “special fishing permit” and uses a complicated and excessive fin-to-carcass ratio to try and ensure no shark carcasses are dumped overboard. This loophole, together with the legal ability for vessels to land shark fins and bodies in separate ports, make the EU ban one of the weakest finning prohibitions in the world.
8. What is the CPOA?
Ten years ago, in response to growing concern over depletion of the world’s shark populations, governments of the United Nations adopted an International Plan of Action for Sharks* and with it pledged to produce shark conservation plans for their waters and fishing regions. In February 2009, the European Commission released its European Community Plan of Action for Sharks. The Plan aims to improve information on shark fisheries, biology and trade, stop overfishing, and prevent “finning” (slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea).
Collaboration and action by EU Fisheries Ministers and the European Commission is now needed to follow through on the Plan’s initiatives and truly safeguard sharks.
9. Explain the fin to carcass ratio?
The fin to carcass weight ratio is intended to allow port and fisheries authorities to check that the amount of fins landed corresponds to the amount of shark carcasses kept on board, that is, that no finning has taken place by a vessel that lands shark fins.
The ratio represents weight of the fins divided by the weight of the body, either whole or dressed (when the shark’s fins, head and guts are removed).
Strong finning bans are enforced with a science-based ratio of 2 per cent fin to whole weight, (or 5 per cent of dressed weight).
Conversely, a higher ratio (for example five per cent of whole weight) is more lenient and means that, depending on how the fins are cut, extra fins from discarded sharks could be retained for each carcass kept on board without fear of prosecution. This situation is exacerbated when fishermen are allowed to land shark fins and carcasses in different ports, as is the case in the EU, making effective control of the ban all but impossible. The EU’s ratio is among the weakest in the world.
According to the World Conservation Union (IUCN), allowing a fin to carcass ratio of six per cent of whole weight would allow 66 per cent of all the sharks caught to be finned, without grounds for prosecution. The current ratio of the EU ban is 5 per cent fin to whole body.
10. Aren’t shark fins eaten in China? Why campaign in Europe?
Europe is home to some of the world’s largest fishing fleets and its powerful fisheries officials exert influence on international fishing restrictions in many regions of the globe. Poor European shark policies and enforcement, therefore, pose threats to sharks not only in European waters but in other parts of the world. Despite the immediate threats facing sharks, there are few European limits on shark fishing, and quotas are routinely set far in excess of scientific advice. In 2003, the EU adopted a ban on shark finning (the wasteful practice of slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea), but at the same time allowed glaring loopholes that render the ban all but meaningless.
11. What can citizens do to help safeguard shark populations?
Citizens can sign the ESW petition which urges Prime Minister Rodríguez Zapatero to call for the swift strengthening of the EU finning ban. As Europe's top shark fishing nation, Spain has a responsibility to advance rather than hinder shark conservation. Indeed, the sustainability of Spanish shark fisheries depends on such stewardship.
Ten Key Facts About Sharks And Their Conservation
1. Sharks have evolved over 400 million years, appearing roughly 200 million years before dinosaurs.
2. Most sharks are especially vulnerable to overfishing and slow to recover from depletion because they generally grow slowly, mature late and produce few young. For example, spiny dogfish sharks don’t have babies until their teen years and give birth to as few as two young after a pregnancy of nearly two years!
3. Scientists estimate that 26 - 73 million sharks are killed each year for the global fin trade.
4. Most European shark fisheries have declined along with their target populations. Still, shark catches by EU vessels remain largely unregulated at a time when demand for shark meat and fins is rising.
5. One third of European shark, skate and ray populations are classified by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) as Threatened with extinction according to the criteria of the Red List of Threatened Species (as Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered); another 20 per cent are at risk of becoming so in the near future.
6. The best way to end finning (the wasteful practice of slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea) is to prohibit the removal of shark fins at sea (require that sharks be landed with their fins still attached).
7. The European Union, led by Spain, is a major exporter of shark fins to China and Hong Kong.
8. Shark fins are among the most expensive seafood products in the world, fetching up to €500 per kilogram.
9. The European Union (EU) is a significant consumer and trader of sharks. EU countries imported more than 26,000t of shark meat -- nearly 30% of the world’s shark imports -- in 2004. The same year, EU countries exported more than 40,000t of shark meat, fins and other products, just under 40% of world shark exports[i]
10. The EU pledged to develop a plan of action for sharks back in 1999 and finally released this in February 2009. Collaboration and action by EU Fisheries Ministers and the European Commission to is now needed to follow through on the Plan’s initiatives and truly safeguard sharks.
Join us in European Shark Week 2009, 10-18 October 2009
Predator turned prey
Turning the Tide for Sharks
Most European shark populations are declining from overfishing. One-third are threatened with extinction. The EU ban on “finning” – slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea – is among the world’s weakest.
Hope lies with the new Shark Plan, adopted by the European Commission thanks in large part to support from many of you. The Plan sets the stage for vast improvements in EU shark policies, including the finning ban. Its success depends on collaboration and action by EU Fisheries Ministers and the European Commission. These fishery managers need encouragement from the European public to follow through on the Plan’s initiatives and truly safeguard sharks.
For the latest news on European Shark Week follow the SOSF European Shark Week Blog
European Shark Week 2009
This year’s European Shark Week will take place from 10-18 October. It’s a unique opportunity for people across Europe to demonstrate their support for shark conservation and effect change.
Give Sharks A Break
Sea Life London Aquarium - Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 October 2009
Save Our Seas Foundation and Marine Conservation Society have teamed up for European Shark Week 09 to present a unique installment of the Cool Seas Roadshow entitled "Give Sharks A Break." The event runs over 2 days at the Sea Life London Aquarium from Wednesday 14 October to Thursday 15 October. School groups and adults can discover a bit more about these fantastic creatures, and about the threats they face from overfishing and other human impacts on their marine environment. You'll even have the chance to meet a baby Basking Shark or gaze at the unbelievable Scalloped Hammerhead! For school bookings please visit the Sea Life London Aquarium website.
Since September 2006, the Roadshow has been touring primary/junior schools throughout the UK. Presenter Andy Starbuck thrills pupils and teachers alike when he introduces his life-size, inflatable whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles, seals and porpoises. Through a series of activities with volunteers from the audience, Andy explains the threats our marine wildlife face and how we can all act to protect these amazing creatures.
If you can’t make any of the European Shark Week events you can still be involved by signing the online petition and by sending an ecard to others to let them know about the week. Also for those who like drawing and colouring there’s a great competition happening. For more info and other events happening around Europe see the website: www.europeansharkweek.org
Read more about European Shark Week in the SOSF Blogs
Predator turned prey
Turning the Tide for Sharks
Most European shark populations are declining from overfishing. One-third are threatened with extinction. The EU ban on “finning” – slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea – is among the world’s weakest.
Hope lies with the new Shark Plan, adopted by the European Commission thanks in large part to support from many of you. The Plan sets the stage for vast improvements in EU shark policies, including the finning ban. Its success depends on collaboration and action by EU Fisheries Ministers and the European Commission. These fishery managers need encouragement from the European public to follow through on the Plan’s initiatives and truly safeguard sharks.
For the latest news on European Shark Week follow the SOSF European Shark Week Blog
European Shark Week 2009
This year’s European Shark Week will take place from 10-18 October. It’s a unique opportunity for people across Europe to demonstrate their support for shark conservation and effect change.
Give Sharks A Break
Sea Life London Aquarium - Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 October 2009
Save Our Seas Foundation and Marine Conservation Society have teamed up for European Shark Week 09 to present a unique installment of the Cool Seas Roadshow entitled "Give Sharks A Break." The event runs over 2 days at the Sea Life London Aquarium from Wednesday 14 October to Thursday 15 October. School groups and adults can discover a bit more about these fantastic creatures, and about the threats they face from overfishing and other human impacts on their marine environment. You'll even have the chance to meet a baby Basking Shark or gaze at the unbelievable Scalloped Hammerhead! For school bookings please visit the Sea Life London Aquarium website.
Since September 2006, the Roadshow has been touring primary/junior schools throughout the UK. Presenter Andy Starbuck thrills pupils and teachers alike when he introduces his life-size, inflatable whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles, seals and porpoises. Through a series of activities with volunteers from the audience, Andy explains the threats our marine wildlife face and how we can all act to protect these amazing creatures.
If you can’t make any of the European Shark Week events you can still be involved by signing the online petition and by sending an ecard to others to let them know about the week. Also for those who like drawing and colouring there’s a great competition happening. For more info and other events happening around Europe see the website: www.europeansharkweek.org
Read more about European Shark Week in the SOSF Blogs
European Shark Week Q&A
1. Who is the Shark Alliance?
The Shark Alliance is a global, not-for-profit coalition of non-governmental organizations dedicated to restoring and conserving shark populations by improving shark conservation policies.
The Shark Alliance is focused on securing the following:
- Shark fishing limits in line with scientific advice and the precautionary approach, including stronger policies to prevent shark finning;
- Safeguards and conservation guidance for sharks through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES);
- A United Nations Resolution that includes ambitious timelines for implementation of the International Plan of Action for Sharks and lays out consequences for inaction.
The Shark Alliance has declared one week in October as European Shark Week – a time for enthusiasts to express their fascination and concern for sharks, bring new voices to the debate about their conservation, and encourage policy makers to secure the future health of their populations.
3. Are there sharks in Europe?
European waters contain a diverse array of about 70 species of sharks, more than 50 species of skates and rays, and seven species of chimaeras. Sharks and rays are found from the cold North Sea to the warmest waters of the Mediterranean Sea, from estuaries to the deep ocean depths, and even in the Baltic and Black Seas.
4. Don’t sharks eat people?
Incidents of sharks biting humans are well-publicised but extremely rare.
Each year, more people are killed by dogs, deer, lightning or coconuts – and even vending machines – than by sharks!
5. Why should we care? Why are sharks important to the ocean?
As top predators, most sharks play critical roles in marine ecosystems. By feeding on the weak and wounded of prey populations, they help to keep the oceans in balance and prey populations healthy.
6. Why are you targeting Spain, when you should be focusing on China?
The facts speak for themselves:
For more than a decade, Spain has been one of the top five world powers with respect to the fishing and marketing of sharks. Spain’s fishing fleets operate across the globe, taking sharks as targeted and incidental catch. Approximately 50% of the EU catch of sharks is taken by Spain.
In addition, Spain is one of only four EU countries to issue special permits that allow fishermen to remove shark fins at sea through a derogation of the EU prohibition of shark "finning" (slicing off a shark's fins and discarding the body at sea). Although shark bodies must be retained under these special permits, the weak control parameters laid down in the derogation create loopholes and enforcement challenges that can enable the practice of finning to take place undetected. Spain has issued the largest number of these permits (164 in 2006), enough to allow nearly two-thirds of its longline fleet to derogate from the EU regulation that prohibits shark fin removal at sea.
TOP LINE MESSAGE: As a top shark fishing nation, Spain has a responsibility to evolve from an obstacle to a leader in shark conservation. The sustainability of Spanish shark fisheries depends on such stewardship.
7. Isn’t there already a European Union finning ban?
Yes, the EU has banned finning for all its vessels and prohibits generally all removal of fins from sharks on board vessels. However, a derogation to the ban allows the removal of fins from sharks under a “special fishing permit” and uses a complicated and excessive fin-to-carcass ratio to try and ensure no shark carcasses are dumped overboard. This loophole, together with the legal ability for vessels to land shark fins and bodies in separate ports, make the EU ban one of the weakest finning prohibitions in the world.
8. What is the CPOA?
Ten years ago, in response to growing concern over depletion of the world’s shark populations, governments of the United Nations adopted an International Plan of Action for Sharks* and with it pledged to produce shark conservation plans for their waters and fishing regions. In February 2009, the European Commission released its European Community Plan of Action for Sharks. The Plan aims to improve information on shark fisheries, biology and trade, stop overfishing, and prevent “finning” (slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea).
Collaboration and action by EU Fisheries Ministers and the European Commission is now needed to follow through on the Plan’s initiatives and truly safeguard sharks.
9. Explain the fin to carcass ratio?
The fin to carcass weight ratio is intended to allow port and fisheries authorities to check that the amount of fins landed corresponds to the amount of shark carcasses kept on board, that is, that no finning has taken place by a vessel that lands shark fins.
The ratio represents weight of the fins divided by the weight of the body, either whole or dressed (when the shark’s fins, head and guts are removed).
Strong finning bans are enforced with a science-based ratio of 2 per cent fin to whole weight, (or 5 per cent of dressed weight).
Conversely, a higher ratio (for example five per cent of whole weight) is more lenient and means that, depending on how the fins are cut, extra fins from discarded sharks could be retained for each carcass kept on board without fear of prosecution. This situation is exacerbated when fishermen are allowed to land shark fins and carcasses in different ports, as is the case in the EU, making effective control of the ban all but impossible. The EU’s ratio is among the weakest in the world.
According to the World Conservation Union (IUCN), allowing a fin to carcass ratio of six per cent of whole weight would allow 66 per cent of all the sharks caught to be finned, without grounds for prosecution. The current ratio of the EU ban is 5 per cent fin to whole body.
10. Aren’t shark fins eaten in China? Why campaign in Europe?
Europe is home to some of the world’s largest fishing fleets and its powerful fisheries officials exert influence on international fishing restrictions in many regions of the globe. Poor European shark policies and enforcement, therefore, pose threats to sharks not only in European waters but in other parts of the world. Despite the immediate threats facing sharks, there are few European limits on shark fishing, and quotas are routinely set far in excess of scientific advice. In 2003, the EU adopted a ban on shark finning (the wasteful practice of slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea), but at the same time allowed glaring loopholes that render the ban all but meaningless.
11. What can citizens do to help safeguard shark populations?
Citizens can sign the ESW petition which urges Prime Minister Rodríguez Zapatero to call for the swift strengthening of the EU finning ban. As Europe's top shark fishing nation, Spain has a responsibility to advance rather than hinder shark conservation. Indeed, the sustainability of Spanish shark fisheries depends on such stewardship.
Ten Key Facts About Sharks And Their Conservation
1. Sharks have evolved over 400 million years, appearing roughly 200 million years before dinosaurs.
2. Most sharks are especially vulnerable to overfishing and slow to recover from depletion because they generally grow slowly, mature late and produce few young. For example, spiny dogfish sharks don’t have babies until their teen years and give birth to as few as two young after a pregnancy of nearly two years!
3. Scientists estimate that 26 - 73 million sharks are killed each year for the global fin trade.
4. Most European shark fisheries have declined along with their target populations. Still, shark catches by EU vessels remain largely unregulated at a time when demand for shark meat and fins is rising.
5. One third of European shark, skate and ray populations are classified by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) as Threatened with extinction according to the criteria of the Red List of Threatened Species (as Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered); another 20 per cent are at risk of becoming so in the near future.
6. The best way to end finning (the wasteful practice of slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea) is to prohibit the removal of shark fins at sea (require that sharks be landed with their fins still attached).
7. The European Union, led by Spain, is a major exporter of shark fins to China and Hong Kong.
8. Shark fins are among the most expensive seafood products in the world, fetching up to €500 per kilogram.
9. The European Union (EU) is a significant consumer and trader of sharks. EU countries imported more than 26,000t of shark meat -- nearly 30% of the world’s shark imports -- in 2004. The same year, EU countries exported more than 40,000t of shark meat, fins and other products, just under 40% of world shark exports[i]
10. The EU pledged to develop a plan of action for sharks back in 1999 and finally released this in February 2009. Collaboration and action by EU Fisheries Ministers and the European Commission to is now needed to follow through on the Plan’s initiatives and truly safeguard sharks.